diff --git a/webserver.py b/webserver.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..54d6340
--- /dev/null
+++ b/webserver.py
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+from flask import Flask
+from flask import render_template
+from flask import request
+from diagrams import Generators,Generator,Example
+import os
+from flask.helpers import send_from_directory
+import argparse
+import sys
+
+scriptdir=os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(__file__))
+app = Flask(__name__,static_url_path='',static_folder=scriptdir+'/../web', template_folder=scriptdir+'/../templates')
+
+@app.route('/')
+def home():
+		return index()
+
+def index(err=None,gen='dot',source="",message="",genResult=None):
+		""" render index page with the given parameters"""
+		return render_template('index.html',gen=gen,gens=Generators.generators(),err=err, message=message, source=source,genResult=genResult)
+
+@app.route('/example/<generator>')
+def example(generator):
+		""" get the given example generator """
+		txt=Example.get(generator)
+		return txt
+
+@app.route('/check/<generator>')
+def check(generator):
+		gen=Generators.get(generator)
+		if gen is not None:
+				return gen.getHtmlInfo()
+		else:
+				return "%s is not a valid generator" % generator
+
+@app.route('/render/<outputType>/<crc32>', methods=['GET'])
+def render(outputType,crc32):
+		# allow extension ending for direct rendering e.g. in wikis
+		ext="."+outputType
+		if crc32.endswith(ext):
+				crc32=crc32[:-len(ext)]
+		outputDirectory=Generator.getOutputDirectory()
+		filename="%s.%s" % (crc32,outputType)
+		#print ("outputDirectory %s\nfilename %s" % (outputDirectory, filename), file=sys.stderr)
+		return send_from_directory(outputDirectory, filename)
+
+@app.route('/render', methods=['POST'])
+def renderForWikiExtension():
+		""" endpoint for diagrams extension"""
+		source=request.form.get('source')
+		renderer=request.form.get('renderer')
+		types=request.form.get('types')
+		ip=request.remote_addr
+		generator=request.form.get('generator')
+		gen=Generators.get(generator)
+		#print ("generator %s\nsource %s\nrenderer %s\ntypes %s" % (generator, source, renderer, types), file=sys.stderr)
+		result=gen.generate(generator,source,'png',renderer)
+		json=result.asJson(request.base_url)
+		return json
+
+
+@app.route('/diagrams', methods=['GET', 'POST']) #allow both GET and POST requests
+def form_example():
+		err=None
+		genResult=None
+		message=""
+		source=None
+		gen=None
+		if request.method == 'POST':
+				try:
+						source = request.form.get('source')
+						alias=request.form.get('generator')
+						generatorId=Generators.generatorIdForAlias(alias)
+						outputType=request.form.get(generatorId+'-output')
+						gen=Generators.get(generatorId)
+						if gen is None:
+								raise Exception("invalid generator %s",generatorId)
+						genResult=gen.generate(alias,source,outputType,useCached=True)
+						if not genResult.isValid():
+								raise Exception("could not generate %s for %s",outputType,generatorId)
+				except Exception as ex:
+						err=ex
+		return index(err=err, message=message,source=source,gen=gen,genResult=genResult)
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+		parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Diagrams rendering webservice")
+		parser.add_argument('--debug',
+																 action='store_true',
+																 help="run in debug mode")
+		parser.add_argument('--port',
+																 type=int,
+																 default=5003,
+																 help="the port to use")
+		parser.add_argument('--host',
+																 default="0.0.0.0",
+																 help="the host to serve for")
+		args=parser.parse_args(sys.argv[1:])
+		app.run(debug=args.debug,port=args.port,host=args.host)