Simple HTTP Server in Java

A minimal HTTP server built from scratch using Java's ServerSocket and Socket classes — no external libraries needed.

Getting Started

Compile and run:

javac SimpleHTTPServer.java
java SimpleHTTPServer

Then open your browser and go to http://localhost:8080. You'll see today's date returned as a response.

How It Works

The server binds to port 8080, waits for a browser to connect, reads the incoming HTTP request, and writes back a 200 OK response with today's date. It then closes the connection and loops back to wait for the next client.

Limitations

• Handles one client at a time (single-threaded)
• Always returns the same response regardless of the request
• No HTTPS support

Reference

Based on this Javarevisited tutorial.