Introduction about the "Web-Server Application"

This project is a lightweight web server implemented in Java using core networking libraries. It listens for incoming HTTP requests on port 80 and processes them using multi-threading to handle multiple client connections concurrently.

Features of the Web-Server-App 🚀

• 1️⃣ Basic HTTP Request Handling – Accepts and processes client requests over port 80.
• 2️⃣ Multi-threaded Processing – Uses threads to handle multiple client connections concurrently.
• 3️⃣ Client-Server Architecture – Acts as a server, responding to requests from web browsers or API clients.
• 4️⃣ Socket-Based Communication – Utilizes Java’s ServerSocket & Socket API for networking.
• 5️⃣ Efficient Request Reading – Uses BufferedReader & InputStreamReader to handle incoming data.
• 6️⃣ Logging & Monitoring – Displays client connection details in the console.
• 7️⃣ Lightweight & Fast – Minimal dependencies, making it efficient and easy to deploy.
• 8️⃣ Extensible – Can be modified to support file serving, REST API requests, or WebSockets.

Technologies Used 👩🏻‍💻

• Java: Core language for backend development.
• ServerSocket & Socket: Manages client connections.
• Multi-threading: Handles multiple requests concurrently.
• BufferedReader & InputStream/OutputStream: Reads/Writes client requests efficiently.
• HTTP Request Handling: Processes incoming HTTP requests.

Client-Server Architecture

This web server follows a client-server model, where:

• The server (ServerSocket) listens on port 80 for incoming connections.
• A client (e.g., browser, Postman, or curl) initiates an HTTP request.
• The server accepts the connection and spawns a new thread to handle the request.
• The server reads the HTTP request headers from the client using BufferedReader.
• (Optional) It can process different HTTP methods (GET, POST, etc.).
• Once processing is complete, the server sends back an HTTP response and closes the connection.

Built With 🛠️

The Web-Server App was developed only using the Java language.

Getting Started

Ensure your IDE or code editor is set up properly. Basic networking knowledge is beneficial:

• Understanding Domain Name System (DNS).
• How HTTP Requests/Responses work.

Installation 💻

Visit my GitHub profile and Clone the project first

                       git clone https://github.com/Isuranga-Seram/Web-Server-Simple.git
                       cd Web-Server-Simple
                   

Change git remote URL to avoid accidental pushes:

                       git remote set-url origin github_username/repo_name #optional
                       git remote -v # confirm the changes
                   

If 'Apache2' is running, stop it first:

                       sudo systemctl stop apache2
                   

Install Maven if not installed:

                       sudo apt update
                       sudo apt install maven -y
                   

Run the server on Port 80:

                       mvn -q compile && sudo /opt/sdkman/candidates/java/current/bin/java -cp target/classes
                       lk.ijse.dep13.web.server.ServerApp
                   

Usage

The Web-Server app can be used for:

• 🌐 Basic Web Server – Serves static files (HTML, CSS, JS).
• 📡 API Server – Handles REST API requests (GET, POST, etc.).
• 🛠 Testing & Learning – Understand network programming, multi-threading, and HTTP requests.
• 📂 Local File Sharing – Share files over a local network.
• 📚 Educational Tool – Learn about sockets and HTTP headers.