CivetWeb

CivetWeb is an embedded web server written in C/C++ that provides web server functionality for existing applications. The software includes support for CGI, SSL, and Lua, allowing its use as an integrated library or as a standalone server.

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• Embedded architecture. The library integrates directly into existing C/C++ applications, providing web server capabilities without external processes. This integration allows developers to add web interfaces to native applications.
• CGI support. It implements the common gateway interface to run external applications that generate dynamic web content. CGI applications receive environment variables and can write to standard output.
• SSL/TLS implementation. It includes secure encryption for HTTPS connections through integration with cryptographic libraries. Secure connections protect data transfer between client and server.
• Lua integration. It allows the execution of embedded Lua scripts directly in the server to generate dynamic content. The scripts process requests and generate HTML responses.
• Standalone server. It functions as an autonomous web server without external dependencies via a single executable. The standalone mode requires no additional installation.
• HTTP/1.1 protocol. It implements full compatibility with the HTTP/1.1 standard including GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE methods. The server correctly handles headers and encodings.
• WebDAV. It provides support for the web document authoring and management protocol that allows remote file operations. WebDAV extensions include PROPFIND and MKCOL methods.
• WebSockets. It implements the WebSocket protocol for real-time bidirectional communication between clients and the server. Persistent connections allow instant data transfer.
• Authentication. It supports multiple authentication methods including HTTP basic and digest access authentication. Security mechanisms control access to protected resources.
• Flexible configuration. It allows customization through external configuration files or programming parameters. Options include ports, document root, and SSL.
• Domain handling. It supports multiple virtual hosting with different configurations for each domain name. Each domain can have a separate document root.
• Business logic. It allows registering custom callbacks to handle specific requests with application logic. Handlers process URLs with defined patterns.

CivetWeb development began in 2008 as a fork of the Mongoose project. The developers maintain the code in C/C++ with cross-platform compatibility. The development team publishes regular updates with fixes and new features. The application is distributed under the MIT license which allows commercial use and modifications. Recent versions include support for IPv6, HTTP/2, and security improvements. The source code is available in GitHub repositories with complete technical documentation.

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