[Wt-interest] How to use wthttpd to host an html web page / site?

[K. Frank]

Hello List!

I am new to Wt (and to web programming in general). I have built a
few very simple Wt applications and hosted them with wthttpd.

What is the easiest (or most practical) way to use wthttpd to serve a
single html web page? If this can't be done reasonably, what would be
the simplest way to wrap the html file (with minor tweaks, if necessary)
in a Wt application and then host it with wthttpd?

More generally, let's say that I would like my home page to be a plain
html web page that has links to Wt web pages / applications. Would
it be practical to host such a scheme with wthttpd, and, if so, what
would be the best way to do so?

(Side question: Could anyone recommend a basic, lightweight html
editor?)


Thanks.


K. Frank

[Koen Deforche]

Hey,

The wthttpd is also a simple web server, serving static files from inside
it's docroot. The simplest way to serve static contents is to put it into
the docroot.
You will need to implement a main() function to instantiate the server.

From your use-case, it sounds logical and totally sensible to host the

static pages inside the same wthttpd that also serves your dynamic content.

Koen

Hello List!
I am new to Wt (and to web programming in general). I have built a
few very simple Wt applications and hosted them with wthttpd.
What is the easiest (or most practical) way to use wthttpd to serve a
single html web page? If this can't be done reasonably, what would be
the simplest way to wrap the html file (with minor tweaks, if necessary)
in a Wt application and then host it with wthttpd?
More generally, let's say that I would like my home page to be a plain
html web page that has links to Wt web pages / applications. Would
it be practical to host such a scheme with wthttpd, and, if so, what
would be the best way to do so?
(Side question: Could anyone recommend a basic, lightweight html
editor?)
Thanks.
K. Frank
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[K. Frank]

Hi Koen!

Post by Koen Deforche
Hey,
The wthttpd is also a simple web server, serving static files from inside
it's docroot.

Okay, I think I have this working.

Just to confirm, is the following the minimal wthttpd server?

#include <Wt/WApplication>
#include <Wt/WEnvironment>

using namespace Wt;

WApplication *createApplication(const WEnvironment& env) {
return new WApplication (env);
}

int main (int argc, char **argv) {
return WRun (argc, argv, &createApplication);
}

Note, I do not derive from WApplication -- I just instantiate a plain
WApplication and pass it to WRun. (Of course my app has no
dynamic content, but I guess the WApplication is the wthttpd server
and the call to WRun starts it up. Is this correct?

Is this the bare-bones but "right" way to use wthttpd as a static
content web server?

I then run the server as follows:

minimal_wt_server --http-address=0.0.0.0 --http-port=80
--deploy-path=/dummy --docroot=.

Post by Koen Deforche
The simplest way to serve static contents is to put it into
the docroot.

If I then put a simple "index.html" file in the working directory of
minimal_wt_server (This should be the docroot directory.) then a
call to the url:

http://localhost/

shows the contents of index.html.

If I had set "--deploy-path=/" (rather than "--deploy-path=/dummy")
then "http://localhost/" would have shown the "blank" web page of
the "empty" WApplication app. (To see index.html I would have to
use "http://localhost/index.html".)

Is this all correct?

Post by Koen Deforche
You will need to implement a main() function to instantiate the server.

Just to confirm, main needs to call WRun with a pointer to a function
that returns a (pointer to a) WApplication object. (That is, there is not,
for example, some function call such as WApplication::start_wthttpd()
that starts an "empty" wthttpd server.) Is this correct?

Post by Koen Deforche
From your use-case, it sounds logical and totally sensible to host the
static pages inside the same wthttpd that also serves your dynamic content.

Yes, thanks. That is the general idea I am thinking of.

Post by Koen Deforche
Koen

Sorry for these naive and detailed questions, but this is all new to me.


Thanks.


K. Frank

Post by Koen Deforche

Post by K. Frank
Hello List!
I am new to Wt (and to web programming in general). I have built a
few very simple Wt applications and hosted them with wthttpd.
What is the easiest (or most practical) way to use wthttpd to serve a
single html web page? If this can't be done reasonably, what would be
the simplest way to wrap the html file (with minor tweaks, if necessary)
in a Wt application and then host it with wthttpd?
More generally, let's say that I would like my home page to be a plain
html web page that has links to Wt web pages / applications. Would
it be practical to host such a scheme with wthttpd, and, if so, what
would be the best way to do so?
(Side question: Could anyone recommend a basic, lightweight html
editor?)
Thanks.
K. Frank

[Koen Deforche]

Hey,

Post by K. Frank
Just to confirm, is the following the minimal wthttpd server?
#include <Wt/WApplication>
#include <Wt/WEnvironment>
using namespace Wt;
WApplication *createApplication(const WEnvironment& env) {
return new WApplication (env);
}
int main (int argc, char **argv) {
return WRun (argc, argv, &createApplication);
}
Note, I do not derive from WApplication -- I just instantiate a plain
WApplication and pass it to WRun. (Of course my app has no
dynamic content, but I guess the WApplication is the wthttpd server
and the call to WRun starts it up. Is this correct?

You should even be able to do like this (without a callback):

int main (int argc, char **argv) {
WServer server(argc, argv, WTHTTP_CONFIGURATION);
if (server.start()) {
WServer::waitForShutdown();
server.stop();
}

return 0;
}

But later you will have a dynamic application, so your solution might then
be better.

WRun(), or server.start(), starts the httpd server. The createApplication()
callback
is used only for the dynamic sessions -- for each session there's a call to
this callback
function.

Post by K. Frank
If I had set "--deploy-path=/" (rather than "--deploy-path=/dummy")
then "http://localhost/" would have shown the "blank" web page of
the "empty" WApplication app. (To see index.html I would have to
use "http://localhost/index.html".)
Is this all correct?

Yes.

Post by K. Frank
You will need to implement a main() function to instantiate the server.
Just to confirm, main needs to call WRun with a pointer to a function
that returns a (pointer to a) WApplication object. (That is, there is not,
for example, some function call such as WApplication::start_wthttpd()
that starts an "empty" wthttpd server.) Is this correct?

There is, see above. WRun() simply instantiates a server, configures and
starts it.

Regards,
koen

[K. Frank]

Hello Koen!

Thanks very much for your answers. Your explanation below is
very helpful.

I had been looking through the Wt documentation, but didn't come
across anything with this level of overview plus details. Is there
somewhere in the documentation I should make a point of looking?

Or is this list (plus the source code) the best way to go when I have
these kinds of questions?


Thanks again for your help.


K. Frank

Post by K. Frank
Hey,

Post by K. Frank
Just to confirm, is the following the minimal wthttpd server?
...
Note, I do not derive from WApplication -- I just instantiate a plain
WApplication and pass it to WRun. (Of course my app has no
dynamic content, but I guess the WApplication is the wthttpd server
and the call to WRun starts it up. Is this correct?

int main (int argc, char **argv) {
WServer server(argc, argv, WTHTTP_CONFIGURATION);
if (server.start()) {
WServer::waitForShutdown();
server.stop();
}
return 0;
}
But later you will have a dynamic application, so your solution might then
be better.
WRun(), or server.start(), starts the httpd server. The createApplication()
callback
is used only for the dynamic sessions -- for each session there's a call to
this callback
function.
...
Regards,
koen