This app’s name is an homage to the world’s first web server. Back in 1989, Tim Berners-Lee started the web on his NeXT computer. On that computer was an app named WorldWideWeb. This app was unique because it allowed his machine to edit and serve HTML documents. The app also used coding frameworks that were adopted by Apple after purchasing NeXT: they are being used right now to display what you’re reading. Like that original app, this WorldWideWeb is a handy web development tool. It’s designed for people who need to test things on their Mac before moving the files onto a real web server like Apache or nginx. It also allows you to work in those increasingly rare moments where you don’t have a connection to the Internet. Developers of iOS apps can use this server to simulate and test APIs that their product uses. FEATURES WorldWideWeb does things differently than today’s production web servers: • No caching — Every request gets a new response, no cache busters needed • Easy to configure — Pick a folder and go, recent folders let you switch sites instantly • Directory listings — A handy list of files whenever you hit a URL that doesn’t exist • Bonjour support – Automatic DNS for easy access using devices on your local network • REST support — Set default responses as JSON or XML for easy mocking of APIs • No external dependencies — Completely standalone and doesn’t need other tools like Python or Ruby • Simplified logging — Track requests and responses in a Terminal window with an easy-to-read format • Built-in security — Runs completely in a sandbox, no access to data unless you allow it • Powerful and lightweight – A small memory footprint with minimal CPU overhead • No rocket science — Perfect for clients and other folks who are less technically inclined
Great App!
A great app. Hope to hide dock icon when running.
Useful app for developers
This app does one and does it really well.
Incredible
That it works on iOS, iPadOS, and macOS is so great. The ability to serve ANY folder from my mobile or computer that anyone else in the vicinity can connect to and see on their own device is so great (not to mention no need to move things into the website folder / publish it in order to take a quick look ...).
Pair with TypeMetal for the complete experience!
Such a great utility: Beautifully simple, easy to set up and use, and I love the fitting tribute to Tim Berners-Lee's "WorldWideWeb" app that started it all! Thank you, Iconfactory! To add "WYSIWYG" HTML file authoring like Tim's original app provided, this pairs beautifully with TypeMetal, which produces modern, streamlined HTML5 files while offering direct visual editing of fully CSS-styled content. Creating and test-flighting Web content couldn't be easier.
Perfect App
Pease dont ever change the core functionality of this app, it works perfectly in its simplicity. No other web host app can rival this one.
Works well for simple sites
Works well for basic sites, but with complex sites it will crash. I had this happen with one site. It failed to load the site and if I tried to launch the app again, it would immediately crash. I had toremove the app and then manually delete the leftover bits in ~/Library before I could get it to launch. Ideally on crash, it would not try to reload the same directory or have a "safe-mode" launch.
So easy, so useful
Within a day of getting this app I was already putting it to use several times a day. Thank you!
• New setting to automatically refresh browser when changes are detected [Yay Sean!] • The POST method no longer generates a directory listing and then a crash [Yay Elliot!] macOS
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