Update documentation

This commit is contained in:
yhirose
2026-09-14 12:27:52 -04:00
parent 278c2979e8
commit f15992c7ed
3 changed files with 73 additions and 4 deletions
@@ -43,15 +43,40 @@ svr.listen_after_bind();
## Check the return values
`bind_to_port()` returns `false` on failure — typically when the port is already taken. Always check it.
`bind_to_port()` returns `false` on failure, for example when you don't have permission to bind to the port. Always check it.
```cpp
if (!svr.bind_to_port("0.0.0.0", 8080)) {
std::cerr << "port already in use" << std::endl;
std::cerr << "bind failed" << std::endl;
return 1;
}
```
`listen_after_bind()` blocks until the server stops and returns `true` on a clean shutdown.
## Detect a port that's already in use
With the default settings, you can actually bind to a port another server is already using. That's because cpp-httplib sets `SO_REUSEPORT` (Linux, macOS) or `SO_REUSEADDR` (Windows) on the server socket. A restarted server can bind again right away. The flip side is that a second server on the same port starts without an error, and connections get split between the two.
To make `bind_to_port()` fail on a port in use, replace the socket options with `set_socket_options()`.
```cpp
svr.set_socket_options([](socket_t sock) {
#ifdef _WIN32
httplib::set_socket_opt(sock, SOL_SOCKET, SO_EXCLUSIVEADDRUSE, 1);
#else
httplib::set_socket_opt(sock, SOL_SOCKET, SO_REUSEADDR, 1);
#endif
});
if (!svr.bind_to_port("0.0.0.0", 8080)) {
std::cerr << "port already in use" << std::endl;
return 1;
}
```
`set_socket_options()` replaces the defaults entirely. Setting `SO_REUSEADDR` on Linux and macOS keeps the "restarted server can bind again right away" behavior.
> **Note:** `SO_REUSEADDR` alone isn't enough on Windows. Two sockets that both set it can bind to the same port, so use `SO_EXCLUSIVEADDRUSE` instead.
> **Note:** To auto-pick a free port, see [S17. Bind to any available port](../s17-bind-any-port). Under the hood, that's just `bind_to_any_port()` + `listen_after_bind()`.