A simple echo server to inspect http web requests

reflect.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
# Reflects the requests from HTTP methods GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE
# Written by Nathan Hamiel (2010)

from http.server import HTTPServer, BaseHTTPRequestHandler
from optparse import OptionParser

class RequestHandler(BaseHTTPRequestHandler):
    
    def do_GET(self):
        
        request_path = self.path
        
        print("\n----- Request Start ----->\n")
        print("Request path:", request_path)
        print("Request headers:", self.headers)
        print("<----- Request End -----\n")
        
        self.send_response(200)
        self.send_header("Set-Cookie", "foo=bar")
        self.end_headers()
        
    def do_POST(self):
        
        request_path = self.path
        
        print("\n----- Request Start ----->\n")
        print("Request path:", request_path)
        
        request_headers = self.headers
        content_length = request_headers.get('Content-Length')
        length = int(content_length) if content_length else 0
        
        print("Content Length:", length)
        print("Request headers:", request_headers)
        print("Request payload:", self.rfile.read(length))
        print("<----- Request End -----\n")
        
        self.send_response(200)
        self.end_headers()
    
    do_PUT = do_POST
    do_DELETE = do_GET
        
def main():
    port = 8080
    print('Listening on 0.0.0.0:%s' % port)
    server = HTTPServer(('', port), RequestHandler)
    server.serve_forever()

        
if __name__ == "__main__":
    parser = OptionParser()
    parser.usage = ("Creates an http-server that will echo out any GET or POST parameters\n"
                    "Run:\n\n"
                    "   reflect")
    (options, args) = parser.parse_args()
    
    main()

Hey thanks for this, how can I send, for example a json message, through the do_GET?

Please change Listening on localhost to Listening on all interfaces or maybe Listening on 0.0.0.0, because using an empty host on HTTPServer means all interfaces, not just localhost. This has serious security implications. I know this is just a test echo server, but it would be great not to mislead users.

I noticed this fails when being accessed from fetch due to CORS errors and lacking OPTIONS. I wonder if that is an easy fix?

Thanks, this worked first try and helped a lot. 👍

Please change Listening on localhost to Listening on all interfaces or maybe Listening on 0.0.0.0, because using an empty host on HTTPServer means all interfaces, not just localhost. This has serious security implications. I know this is just a test echo server, but it would be great not to mislead users.

Good suggestions, I modified it accordingly.

I noticed this fails when being accessed from fetch due to CORS errors and lacking OPTIONS. I wonder if that is an easy fix?

I have not used this script for a long time, it is rather a template which can be adjusted as needed. If you have a solution, it could be great if you share that gist as well!

Thanks for this! Came in clutch testing an API wrapper!

Thanks for this!!!!

My version with some colorized output: https://gist.github.com/ricleal/72efc72d7de5e23ce98b9afb2973232a

Nice, thank you @ricleal!