A very simple Node.js static file server, based on lightnode (https://github.com/ngspinners/lightnode)

nodeserver.js

//
// A very simple Node.js static file server and Ajax proxy, based on lightnode (https://github.com/ngspinners/lightnode)
//
// Requirements: 
//   Node.js
//   npm for the installation of modules
//   lightnode (installed via npm)
//
// How to use, with all dependencies in place:
//  node nodeserver.js [/path/to/the/root/folder]
//
// Go to a URL such as http://localhost:8080/somefile.html where somefile.html exists in the current folder
// where node was started, or in the folder provided as a parameter
//
// For proxy requests, use http://localhost:8080/proxy/http://www.yourserver.com/ajaxCall to proxy your Ajax
// calls through this server. Please see also gist https://gist.github.com/1324360 for the same standalone
// proxy.
//
// This server is useful for running Ajax-enabled applications in your local workstation when your files are
// being served from a local server but calling the service remotely (which wouldn't work because of cross-domain
// Ajax security)
//

// library dependencies
var http = require('http'), 
	lightnode = require('lightnode'),
	url = require('url');

// default port
var port = 8080;
var server = new http.Server(); 
server.listen(port)

// Create the server; optionally, provide a folder that defines which folder is served, otherwise
// serve the current folder
if(process.argv[2] != undefined)
	folder = process.argv[2]
else
	folder = "."

console.log("Serving folder: " + folder)
console.log("Listening in port: " + port);
var website = new lightnode.FileServer(folder)

server.addListener('request', function(request, response) {
	console.log("request = " + request.url);
	if(request.url.substring(0, "/proxy/".length) == "/proxy/") {
		// handle this as a proxy request
		/*target = request.url;
			 if(target[0] == "/") // remove the leading forward slash*/
	    target = request.url.substring("/proxy/".length, request.url.length);

	  	console.log("Proxy request received. Target: " + target);

	  	// parse the url
	  	url_parts = url.parse(target);
	  	if(url_parts.host == undefined) { // stop processing, URL must contain http(s)://
	    	response.write("ERROR: missing host in target URL " + target);
	    	response.end();
	  	}
	  	else {

		    var proxy = http.createClient(80, url_parts.host)
		    var proxy_request = proxy.request(request.method, url_parts.href, request.headers);
		    
		    console.log("Creating proxy request to server: " + url_parts.hostname + ", path: " + url_parts.pathname);
		    proxy_request.addListener('response', function (proxy_response) {
		      proxy_response.addListener('data', function(chunk) {
		        response.write(chunk, 'binary');
		      });
		      proxy_response.addListener('end', function() {
		        response.end();
		      });
		      response.writeHead(proxy_response.statusCode, proxy_response.headers);
		    });
		    request.addListener('data', function(chunk) {
		      proxy_request.write(chunk, 'binary');
		    });
		    request.addListener('end', function() {
		      proxy_request.end();
		    });
		}	
	}
	else {
		console.log("Server request received:" + request.url);
		website.receiveRequest(request, response)		
	}
})