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Introducing Kraken - Web Development Meets C

· 2 min read
Rahul Gupta

We're excited to introduce Kraken, a lightweight HTTP server framework written entirely in C! If you've ever wondered what it would be like to build web applications using C, or if you're learning C and want to explore web development concepts, Kraken is for you.

Why Kraken?​

Kraken was born out of curiosity and the desire to understand how web servers work at a fundamental level. While languages like JavaScript, Python, and Go dominate the web development landscape, C offers a unique perspective on how things work under the hood.

Key Features​

  • Simple API: Inspired by Express.js, Kraken provides an intuitive API for defining routes and handling requests
  • Static File Serving: Built-in support for serving static files like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
  • Thread Pool: Efficient request handling using a custom thread pool implementation
  • Lightweight: Minimal dependencies and a small footprint

A Quick Example​

Here's how simple it is to create a web server with Kraken:

#include "kraken.h"

char *hello_handler(http_req_t *req, http_res_t *res) {
    return "Hello, World!";
}

int main() {
    http_server_t *server = http_server_init(8000, 10);
    register_route(server, "/", hello_handler);
    http_server_listen(server);
    http_server_free(server);
    return 0;
}

That's all you need to create a functioning web server! No complex configurations, no boilerplate code.

Who Is This For?​

  • C Language Learners: Get hands-on experience with a practical project while learning C
  • Curious Developers: Explore how web servers work at a lower level
  • Educators: Use Kraken as a teaching tool to demonstrate networking concepts
  • Experimenters: Build unique projects that combine the power of C with web technologies

What's Next?​

In upcoming blog posts, we'll dive deeper into Kraken's features, explore practical examples, and show you how to build real applications. Stay tuned!

Educational Project

Kraken is designed for educational and experimental purposes. It has not been thoroughly tested for production use or security vulnerabilities.

Ready to get started? Check out our documentation and build your first Kraken application today!