ESP8266 web server receiving GET requests and sending POST request, also sending information as a JSON to the serial port

ESP8266_WebServerAndClient_PlusSerial.ino

// This script is avilable as a gist:
// https://gist.github.com/mikbuch/a5c7492fc6c29956c5755683ea23d35b

// ESP8266 web server receiving GET requests and sending POST request, 
// but also sending information as a JSON to the serial port 

// For a different example, focused on network communication, see:
// * "ESP8266_WebServerAndClient.ino" (https://gist.github.com/mikbuch/59753429f721f4a93d9592b9f21484c9)

/* Requirements:
 *  I. "esp8266" board installed.
 *  II. "arduino-timer" by Michael Contreras installed (https://github.com/contrem/arduino-timer, https://www.arduino.cc/reference/en/libraries/arduino-timer/)
 *  
 * I. Installing WeMos ESP Board:
 *  1. File -> Preferences
 *  2. In "Additional Board Manager URLs" (at the bottom), paste the following link:
 *     http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json
 *  3. Tools -> Board -> Board Managers
 *  4. Type in the search: "esp"
 *  5. Install the community package "esp8266" (It also includes "Wemos" boards; "LOLIN")
 *  
 * Then you set the board as:
 *  * Tools -> Boards -> ESP8266 Boards -> WEMOS D1 R1 mini
 *  
 *  Source, with screenshots (in Polish): https://blog.elektroweb.pl/jak-programowac-wemos-d1-w-srodowisku-arduino-ide/
 */

 
/* Connection status codes ("WiFi.status()"):
 *    0 : WL_IDLE_STATUS when Wi-Fi is in process of changing between statuses
 *    1 : WL_NO_SSID_AVAILin case configured SSID cannot be reached
 *    3 : WL_CONNECTED after successful connection is established
 *    4 : WL_CONNECT_FAILED if connection failed
 *    6 : WL_CONNECT_WRONG_PASSWORD if password is incorrect
 *    7 : WL_DISCONNECTED if module is not configured in station mode
 *
 * Source: https://arduino-esp8266.readthedocs.io/en/latest/esp8266wifi/readme.html#diagnostics
 */

/*
 * Receiving GET requests:
 *  * / (root) -- basic information
 *  * /status -- is the LED diode turned on or off
 *  * /switch -- turn the LED on or off (switch its state)
 *  
 * Sending POST requests, with plain text JSON in its body.
 *
 * Caution: to see your POST requests in the browser go to:
 *  -> http://ptsv3.com/t/tdi0k-1641503634/
 *
 * Alternatively you can look this page up in the following way:
 *  -> Go to: http://ptsv3.com/
 *  -> Copy-paste the following string in the input field: "tdi0k-1641503634"
 *  -> Click "Look up*"
 *
 * See also this StackOverflow answer: https://stackoverflow.com/a/7194919
 * 
 * Sources & references (on the client):
 *  - https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp8266-nodemcu-http-get-post-arduino/#http-get-2
 *  - https://techtutorialsx.com/2016/07/21/esp8266-post-requests/
 *
 */

/* Instructon on how to use this example on the client side.
 *  
 * The client side means that you will be sending requests
 * to the server hosted at ESP8266, and you will be receiving
 * requests.
 * 
 * Use a root request (e.g., http://192.168.0.22/), or either of
 * the two endpoints:
 *   (1) /switch (to switch diode), or
 *   (2) /status (to get the info about diode status: on or off).
 * For example: http://192.168.0.22/status
 * ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 * 
 */


#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <ESP8266WiFiMulti.h>
#include <WiFiClient.h>
#include <ESP8266HTTPClient.h>
#include <ESP8266WebServer.h>
#include <ESP8266mDNS.h>
#include <arduino-timer.h>

/* SSID is the name of your WiFi network, e.g.: "linksys", or "ab8402932".
 * You have to set the variable STASSID below.
 * --
 * STAPSK is the password you your WiFi (WLAN) network, i.e., the password
 * to your router. This variable has to be set as well.
 * 
 * To sum up, the 4 lines below this block comment should look shomehow
 * like that:
 * 
 * #ifndef STASSID
 * #define STASSID "linksys"
 * #define STAPSK  "@sdjj2325k^#asd"
 * #endif
 */
#ifndef STASSID
#define STASSID "<your_WiFi_SSID>"
#define STAPSK  "<your_WiFi_password>"
#endif


/* URL to send POST requests, with plain text JSON in its body.
 * Caution: create your own POST URL here: http://ptsv3.com/
 *  -> "New random toilet"
 * See also: https://stackoverflow.com/a/7194919
 */
const char* url = "http://ptsv3.com/t/tdi0k-1641503634/post/";

const char* ssid = STASSID;
const char* password = STAPSK;

ESP8266WebServer server(80);
ESP8266WiFiMulti WiFiMulti;

int led_status = 0;

// Create a request timer with default settings.
// It will be configured in the "setup", and run
// <<ticked>> in the "loop" section.
auto requestTimer = timer_create_default();


/****************************
 *   Functions definition   *  
 ****************************/
void handleRoot() {
  Serial.println("Received a root (`/`) request.");
  Serial.println("LED status is: " + String(led_status));
  Serial.println("----------------------------");
  
  // Server response
  String message = "Use either of the two endpoints:\n";
  message += " (1) /switch (to switch diode)\n";
  message += " (2) /status (to get the info about diode status: on or off)\n";
  message += "For example: 192.168.0.22/status\n";
  message += "----------------------------\n";
  message += "LED status is now: " + String(led_status) + "\n";
  message += "----------------------------";
  server.send(200, "text/plain", message);
}

void handleLedSwitch() {
  Serial.println("Received a `switch` request.");
    
  if (led_status == 0) {
    digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);
    led_status = 1;
  } else {
    digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);
    led_status = 0;
  }
  Serial.println("LED status is: " + String(led_status));
  // Send a JSON message to the Serial output
  Serial.println("{'channel1':'" + String(led_status) +"'}");
  Serial.println("----------------------------");

  // Server response
  String message = "Switched LED!\n\n";
  message += "Now status of the diode is: ";
  message += String(led_status);
  server.send(200, "text/plain", message);
}

void handleLedStatus() {
  Serial.println("Received a `status` request.");
  Serial.println("LED status is: " + String(led_status));
  Serial.println("----------------------------");

  // Server response
  String message = "Status of the LED is: ";
  message += String(led_status);
  server.send(200, "text/plain", message);
}

void handleNotFound() {
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW);
  String message = "File Not Found\n\n";
  message += "URI: ";
  message += server.uri();
  message += "\nMethod: ";
  message += (server.method() == HTTP_GET) ? "GET" : "POST";
  message += "\nArguments: ";
  message += server.args();
  message += "\n";
  for (uint8_t i = 0; i < server.args(); i++) {
    message += " " + server.argName(i) + ": " + server.arg(i) + "\n";
  }
  server.send(404, "text/plain", message);
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);
}

/*******************************
 *                             *
 *         WiFi Client         *
 *                             *
 *  Sending a periodic report  *
 *                             *
 *******************************/ 
// Timers has to be "bool" type:
// if "true" is returned it means: "keep the timer alive"
bool sendRequest(void *) {
  // Run only when there is a WiFi connection.
  if ((WiFiMulti.run() == WL_CONNECTED)) {
  
    WiFiClient client;
  
    HTTPClient http;
  
    Serial.print("\n\n\n");
    Serial.print("============================\n");
    // Display local IP address of the board, in case the initial
    // information (during connecting to the WiFi) was missed.
    Serial.print("IP address: ");
    Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());
    Serial.print("[HTTP] begin...\n");
  
    // HTTP request start
    if (http.begin(client, url)) {
  
      //Specify content-type header
      http.addHeader("Content-Type", "text/plain");
  
      Serial.print("[HTTP] POST...\n");
      // Start connection and send HTTP header
      int httpCode = http.POST("{'temp1':'50', 'temp2':'53'}");
  
      // httpCode will be negative on error
      if (httpCode > 0) {
        // HTTP header has been send and Server response header has been handled
        Serial.printf("[HTTP] POST... code: %d\n", httpCode);
  
        // file found at server
        if (httpCode == HTTP_CODE_OK || httpCode == HTTP_CODE_MOVED_PERMANENTLY) {
          String payload = http.getString();
          Serial.println(payload);
        }
      } else {
        Serial.printf("[HTTP] POST... failed, error: %s\n", http.errorToString(httpCode).c_str());
      }
  
      http.end();
    } else {
      Serial.printf("[HTTP] Unable to connect\n");
    }
    Serial.print("============================\n");
  }

  // Keep timer active? true
  return true; 
}


/* =======================================
 *              
 *                  SETUP
 * 
 * =======================================
 */
void setup(void) {

  // Reset the serial monitor at the beginning.
  Serial.flush();

  // Initial variables and setup
  pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT);
  digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH);
  Serial.begin(115200);
  WiFi.mode(WIFI_STA);
  WiFi.begin(ssid, password);
  Serial.println("");

  /* Wait for the connection
   *
   * Connection status codes:
   *    0 : WL_IDLE_STATUS when Wi-Fi is in process of changing between statuses
   *    1 : WL_NO_SSID_AVAILin case configured SSID cannot be reached
   *    3 : WL_CONNECTED after successful connection is established
   *    4 : WL_CONNECT_FAILED if connection failed
   *    6 : WL_CONNECT_WRONG_PASSWORD if password is incorrect
   *    7 : WL_DISCONNECTED if module is not configured in station mode
   * Source: https://arduino-esp8266.readthedocs.io/en/latest/esp8266wifi/readme.html#diagnostics
   */
  while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) {
    delay(500);
    Serial.print(".");
    Serial.print(WiFi.status());
  }
  Serial.println("");
  Serial.println("----------------------------");
  Serial.print("Connected to ");
  Serial.println(ssid);
  Serial.print("IP address: ");
  Serial.println(WiFi.localIP());

  if (MDNS.begin("esp8266")) {
    Serial.println("MDNS responder started");
  }

  server.on("/", handleRoot);

  server.on("/switch", handleLedSwitch);

  server.on("/status", handleLedStatus);

  server.onNotFound(handleNotFound);

  server.begin();
  Serial.println("HTTP server started");
  Serial.println("----------------------------");

  // Call the sendRequest function every 5000 millisecond (5 second)
  requestTimer.every(5000, sendRequest);
}

void loop(void) {
  server.handleClient();
  MDNS.update();

  // Send the request periodically
  requestTimer.tick();
}

better code than I could ever write in C++

Thank you, I appreciate your kind words. Hope the code will be helpful to you