# Disposable HTTP Server
> Create a disposable HTTP server.
## Usage
```javascript
var httpServer = require( '@stdlib/net/disposable-http-server' );
```
#### httpServer( options\[, clbk] )
Creates a disposable HTTP server; i.e., the server closes immediately after serving provided content.
```javascript
var opts = {
'html': '',
'javascript': 'console.log( "Boop" );'
};
httpServer( opts );
```
The function supports the following parameters:
- **options**: function options.
- **clbk**: callback to invoke upon creating a server (_optional_).
The function accepts the following options:
- **html**: Buffer or string to serve as HTML content.
- **javascript**: Buffer or string to serve as JavaScript.
- **port**: server port. Default: `0` (i.e., randomly assigned).
- **maxport**: max server port (used when port hunting). Default: `=port`.
- **hostname**: server hostname.
- **address**: server address. Default: `"0.0.0.0"`.
- **open**: boolean indicating whether to launch a web browser. Default: `false`.
To serve HTML content, set the `html` option. Once the content is requested, the server will close.
```javascript
var opts = {
'html': 'Beep
'
};
httpServer( opts );
```
To serve JavaScript, set the `javascript` option. If no HTML is provided, an HTML boilerplate is served and the JavaScript is served as `/bundle.js`. Once the content is requested, the server will close.
```javascript
var opts = {
'javascript': 'console.log( "Boop" );'
};
httpServer( opts );
```
If HTML and JavaScript are provided, in order for the JavaScript to be served, the HTML content should request the file `/bundle.js`.
```javascript
var opts = {
'html': '',
'javascript': 'console.log( "Boop" );'
};
httpServer( opts );
```
To obtain the `server` handle, provide a callback.
```javascript
var nextTick = require( '@stdlib/utils/next-tick' );
function onReady( error, server ) {
if ( error ) {
throw error;
}
nextTick( close );
function close() {
server.close();
}
}
var opts = {
'html': html,
'javascript': 'console.log( "Boop" );'
};
httpServer( opts, onReady );
```
## Notes
- If neither the `html` nor `javascript` option is set, the server serves an HTML boilerplate and then closes.
## Examples
```javascript
var join = require( 'path' ).join;
var readFileSync = require( '@stdlib/fs/read-file' ).sync;
var httpServer = require( '@stdlib/net/disposable-http-server' );
var html = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'index.html' );
var js = join( __dirname, 'examples', 'fixtures', 'script.js' );
var opts = {
'html': readFileSync( html ),
'javascript': readFileSync( js ),
'port': 7331,
'hostname': 'localhost',
'open': false
};
httpServer( opts, clbk );
function clbk( error, server ) {
if ( error ) {
throw error;
}
// Give the user a few seconds to open her web browser before closing the server...
setTimeout( onTimeout, 5000 );
function onTimeout() {
server.close();
}
}
```
* * *
## CLI
### Usage
```text
Usage: temp-http-server [options] (--html path | --js path | --stdin type)
Options:
-h, --help Print this message.
-V, --version Print the package version.
--html path Serve HTML.
--js, --javascript path Serve JavaScript.
--stdin type Type of content: html or javascript.
-p, --port port Server port. Default: 0.
--maxport maxport Max server port. Default: `port`.
--hostname hostname Server hostname.
--address address Server address. Default: 0.0.0.0.
--open Launch a browser once server is ready.
```
The application recognizes the following [environment variables][environment-variable]:
- `DEBUG`: enable verbose logging.
- `PORT`: server port.
- `MAXPORT`: max server port.
- `HOSTNAME`: server hostname.
- `ADDRESS`: server address.
### Notes
- Command-line arguments **always** take precedence over [environment variables][environment-variable].
- If either the `--html` or `--javascript` command-line flag is set, `stdin` is assumed to be of the other type. Accordingly, the `--stdin` flag may be omitted.
### Examples
To serve an HTML file,
```bash
$ DEBUG=* temp-http-server --html ./examples/fixtures/index.html
...
```
To serve a JavaScript file (and a default HTML boilerplate),
```bash
$ DEBUG=* temp-http-server --javascript ./examples/fixtures/script.js
...
```
In addition to file input, the application accepts [standard input][standard-streams]. To pipe HTML,
```bash
$ cat ./examples/fixtures/index.html | DEBUG=* temp-http-server --port 7331 --stdin html
...
```
To pipe HTML and load a JavaScript file,
```bash
$ cat ./examples/fixtures/index.html | DEBUG=* temp-http-server --port 7331 --javascript ./examples/fixtures/script.js
...
```
To pipe JavaScript (and serve a default HTML boilerplate),
```bash
$ cat ./examples/fixtures/script.js | DEBUG=* temp-http-server --address '127.0.0.1' --stdin javascript
...
```
To pipe JavaScript and serve custom HTML content which requests a `/bundle.js` file,
```bash
$ cat ./examples/fixtures/script.js | DEBUG=* temp-http-server --html ./examples/fixtures/index.html
...
```
[environment-variable]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_variable
[standard-streams]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_streams