Embedded HTTP server

• To provide a thin client interface for a traditional application.
• To provide indexing, reporting, and debugging tools during the development stage.
• To implement a protocol for the distribution and acquisition of information to be displayed in the regular interface — possibly a web service, and possibly using XML as the data format.
• To develop a web application

• HTTP is a well studied cross-platform protocol and there are mature implementations freely available.
• HTTP is seldom blocked by firewalls and intranet routers.
• HTTP clients are readily available with all modern computers.
• There is a growing tendency of using embedded HTTP servers in applications that parallels the rising trends of home-networking and ubiquitous computing.

  Typical requirements

• "Small" RAM and ROM footprint. The exact size depends on the system, but in many cases anything over several megabytes is not embeddable.
• Minimal CPU utilization.
• Cross compilation support for multiple CPU and operating system combinations.
• Easy integration with an existing application, including static linking with the operating system and application.
• Serving pages from application memory if there is no file system.
• Modularity.
• Single thread and multi-thread support.