🚀 Introducing httplet: A Simple HTTP Server with Clean Semantics

Krzysztof Kostałkowicz — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 10:42:30 +0000

Hey devs! 👋 I released a small proof-of-concept project called httplet, a minimalist plugin-oriented HTTP server built for clarity and configurability.

🔧 What is it? httplet is a lightweight HTTP server that uses a rule-based configuration system to define how requests are handled. You can write your server logic in JSON, YAML, or JavaScript, making it super flexible and readable.

✨ Key Features:

Rule-based configuration: Define behavior with clean, sequential rules.

Built-in routing: Use EnterLocation to branch URLs with prefix, exact, or regex matching.

Error handling: Each serving rule supports an onError branch for graceful fallbacks.

Customizable responses: Add headers, log requests, simulate delays, and more.

No magic: Every rule is explicit — no hidden behavior.

📦 Example use cases:

Serve static files with custom headers.

Log and inspect incoming requests.

Simulate latency or race conditions for testing.

Build simple mock APIs or dev servers.

💡 Why I built it: I wanted a server that’s easy to reason about, with no hidden routing logic or framework overhead. httplet is my take on making HTTP handling transparent and modular.

🙋 Who might take benefit:

Developers - quickly setup local server to develop/run an app
Dev-ops engineers - for reverse proxy
Sysadmins - to serve static files

👉 Check it out: github.com/krzykos/httplet If this idea resonates with you, I’d love your feedback! Star the repo, open an issue, or just drop a comment.

Forem: Krzysztof Kostałkowicz

🚀 Introducing httplet: A Simple HTTP Server with Clean Semantics