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(python2.1-lib.info)SimpleHTTPServer

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Simple HTTP request handler
===========================

This manual section was written by Moshe Zadka
<moshez@zadka.site.co.il>.
This module provides a basic request handler for HTTP servers.

The `SimpleHTTPServer' module defines a request-handler class,
interface compatible with `BaseHTTPServer.BaseHTTPRequestHandler' which
serves files only from a base directory.

The `SimpleHTTPServer' module defines the following class:

`SimpleHTTPRequestHandler(request, client_address, server)'
     This class is used, to serve files from current directory and
     below, directly mapping the directory structure to HTTP requests.

     A lot of the work is done by the base class
     `BaseHTTPServer.BaseHTTPRequestHandler', such as parsing the
     request.  This class implements the `do_GET()' and `do_HEAD()'
     functions.

The `SimpleHTTPRequestHandler' defines the following member variables:

`server_version'
     This will be `"SimpleHTTP/" + __version__', where `__version__' is
     defined in the module.

`extensions_map'
     A dictionary mapping suffixes into MIME types. Default is signified
     by an empty string, and is considered to be `text/plain'.  The
     mapping is used case-insensitively, and so should contain only
     lower-cased keys.

The `SimpleHTTPRequestHandler' defines the following methods:

`do_HEAD()'
     This method serves the `'HEAD'' request type: it sends the headers
     it would send for the equivalent `GET' request. See the `do_GET()'
     method for more complete explanation of the possible headers.

`do_GET()'
     The request is mapped to a local file by interpreting the request
     as a path relative to the current working directory.

     If the request was mapped to a directory, a `403' respond is
     output, followed by the explanation `'Directory listing not
     supported''.  Any `IOError' exception in opening the requested
     file, is mapped to a `404', `'File not found'' error. Otherwise,
     the content type is guessed using the EXTENSIONS_MAP variable.

     A `'Content-type:'' with the guessed content type is output, and
     then a blank line, signifying end of headers, and then the
     contents of the file. The file is always opened in binary mode.

     For example usage, see the implementation of the `test()' function.

See also:
     Note: BaseHTTPServer Base class implementation for Web server
     and request handler.