http.server.HTTPServer()

from http.server import HTTPServer, SimpleHTTPRequestHandler, BaseHTTPRequestHandler

# Static file server (serves the current directory)
server = HTTPServer(('localhost', 8000), SimpleHTTPRequestHandler)
server.serve_forever()

# Custom request handler
class MyHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
    def do_GET(self):
        self.send_response(200)
        self.end_headers()
        self.wfile.write(b'Hello!')

from http.server import HTTPServer, SimpleHTTPRequestHandler, BaseHTTPRequestHandler
from urllib.parse import parse_qs, urlparse
import json
import threading

# Start a static file server from the command line (Python built-in command)
# python -m http.server 8000

# Start a static file server from a script
server = HTTPServer(('localhost', 8000), SimpleHTTPRequestHandler)
print("Server started: http://localhost:8000")
# server.serve_forever()    # Serves files from the current directory

# Custom HTTP handler
class MyAPIHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
    def do_GET(self):
        parsed = urlparse(self.path)
        path   = parsed.path
        params = parse_qs(parsed.query)

        if path == '/':
            self._send_json({'message': 'Hello!', 'status': 'ok'})
        elif path == '/greet':
            name = params.get('name', ['Guest'])[0]
            self._send_json({'greeting': f'Hello, {name}!'})
        else:
            self._send_json({'error': 'Not Found'}, status=404)

    def do_POST(self):
        # Read the request body
        length = int(self.headers.get('Content-Length', 0))
        body   = self.rfile.read(length)
        try:
            data = json.loads(body.decode('utf-8'))
            self._send_json({'received': data, 'status': 'ok'})
        except json.JSONDecodeError:
            self._send_json({'error': 'Invalid JSON'}, status=400)

    def _send_json(self, data, status=200):
        """Helper method to send a JSON response."""
        body = json.dumps(data, ensure_ascii=False).encode('utf-8')
        self.send_response(status)
        self.send_header('Content-Type', 'application/json; charset=utf-8')
        self.send_header('Content-Length', str(len(body)))
        self.end_headers()
        self.wfile.write(body)

    def log_message(self, format, *args):
        """Suppress the default access log (remove this to re-enable it)."""
        pass

# Start the server in a background thread
server = HTTPServer(('localhost', 8080), MyAPIHandler)
thread = threading.Thread(target=server.serve_forever, daemon=True)
thread.start()
print("API server started: http://localhost:8080")

# Test request
from urllib import request
with request.urlopen('http://localhost:8080/greet?name=Alice') as res:
    print(res.read().decode())  # {"greeting": "Hello, Alice!"}

server.shutdown()

SimpleHTTPRequestHandler is the simplest way to serve files — it serves everything under the current directory. You can start it from the command line with python -m http.server 8000, which is handy for quick file sharing or testing a single-page application locally.

To build a custom handler, subclass BaseHTTPRequestHandler and implement methods such as do_GET() and do_POST(). When sending a response, always follow this order: send_response() → send_header() (repeat as needed) → end_headers() → wfile.write(). Skipping end_headers() omits the required blank line, which breaks the HTTP protocol.

For full-featured web applications or API servers, consider using a framework such as Flask or FastAPI. They provide routing, templating, authentication, and much more, significantly improving developer productivity.