WAP Definitions and Information:

1.1 What is WAP?

Definition
The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a set of open, global protocols for developing applications and services that use wireless networks. The WAP protocols are mainly based on already existing Internet protocols, but are optimized for mobile users with wireless devices.

History

Phone.com, Ericsson, Nokia and many others began developing standards independently of each other, but soon they realized that it would make more sense to focus development around a common standard. They all wanted to establish a common format for Internet transfers to mobile telephones, without having to customize the Internet pages for the particular display on every different mobile telephone or personal organizer. With WAP Forum they were able to find such a protocol.

 

1.2 What is WML?

WML is the WAP equivalent to HTML (HyperText Markup Language), which is a markup language used to construct web pages. WML stands for Wireless Markup Language. Pages written in WML can be read by a WAP phone or similar device. Since WML is actually an application of XML (eXtensible Markup Language), the syntax reminds of XML, with it’s strictness. If you have some experince with HTML, it is not difficult to learn WML; many tags and attributes are almost the same, but there are fewer tags. Unlike HTML, you can play around with variables in WML, making it more dynamic. It is also possible to have many sub-pages (called 'cards') in one WML page (called a 'deck'). Each WML card works like a web page and it's content is displayed to the user. For more information regarding WML, please see the section called ’WML’.

 

1.3 What is WMLScript?

WMLScript (Wireless Markup Language Script) is a client side script language for use with WML.
In HTML pages, you can use JavaScript to make the pages more dynamic, and to perform advanced mathematical calculations. WMLScript is very similar to JavaScript, and therefore easy to learn for those who have used that before.

A big difference though, is that WMLScript must be kept in a separate file, and can not be used with inline tags like JavaScript. WMLScript can perform math’s, manipulate strings of text, make redirections etc.

More Q’s & A’s are available in the section ’WMLScript’.

 

1.4 How to get started?

You can use the CoffeeCup Wireless Web Builder to quickly and easily create functional WML pages. Best of all, the program is FREE and comes with FREE Wireless Website Hosting through wap.bluedomino.com.

Here at bluedomino.com, our favorite choice for a WAP Phone Emulator is M3GATE from numeric.ru. Not only does it support WML and WMLScript... it's FREE to boot !

Whether you are an experienced web programmer or a newcomer to computers and Internet, we recommend you to get at least one WAP Development Kit when starting with WAP and WML. There are several such SDKs (Software Development Kits) available for download from the web sites of many phone manufacturers. First choise could probably be the Nokia WAP Developer Toolkit, version 1.2 or 2.0. In this toolkit you get phone simulator, WML & WMLScript templates and examples, WBMP picture editor, compilator for WML & WMLScript and WML/WMLScript syntax reference with examples. The version 2.0 toolkit contains support for developing WAP 1.2 applications in addition to the current WAP version 1.1. In order to download the Toolkit, you have to register here.

Also recommended is Phone.com’s SDK, which you can download after signing in at developer.phone.com

With this tool you have a phone simulator for testing the code, and you can also view the source of browsed pages. But the phone is only an emulator and not pretending to simulate a certain phone model. Ericsson provides a SDK with a R320s simulator for registered developers, you can sign in at Ericsson Developers’ zone.
Here you will also find Symbian’s emulator for the Ericsson Smartphone R380s.

The SDKs mentioned above can browse WAP sites, so they are cheap tools both for testing your applications and checking out other sites. If you are going to develop commercial/public WAP applications, you should at least have one WAP enabled phone to test your applications on. The more devices you test them on, the better. Recommended is a phone with the UP.Browser, which is used in several phone models by Siemens, Motorola and others.

 

1.5 Is there a list of WAP keywords with explanations?

WAP Development
ASP Active Server Pages - ASP pages are web documents (HTML and WML) that use an embedded script language to provide dynamic content like displaying the results of a database or perform calculations. Normally, ASP pages are written using VBScript, but Jscript and PerlScript is also possible.
Card In WML, a card is the page that is displayed to the user. A card must be contained in a WML deck
Deck In WML, a deck is the container for one or more cards. The deck provides necessary information about the document type, markup language and navigational templates for the cards incorporated in it.
HDML Handheld Device Markup Language - A subset of HTML supported by some microbrowsers, it can be compared to WML, but is not widely used now.
HTML HyperText Markup Language - Language for describing data interpreted by a web browser.
HTTP HyperText Transfer Protocol - A protocol that defines the communication between a web server and a client.
PDA Personal Digital Assistant - An electronic mobile device that provides storage and editing of information such as phone numbers, calendar, notes or emails.
PHP Personal Homepage Tool - Server side scripting language used to provide dynamic content. It’s syntax reminds of the C programming language.
SDK Software Development Kit.
SMS Short Messaging Service - A technology for sending text to and from mobile phones. The message is sent through an SMS Cervice Center that pushedes it to the recipient(s). If the phone is turned off for a shorter time (normally 1-24 hours), the message can be received after it is turned on again.
SSL Secure Socket Layer
UP Unwired Planet
W3C World Wide Web Consortium - Defines and develops standards for web development.
WAP Wireless Application Protocol - A set of open, global protocols for developing applications and services that use wireless networks.
WAP Forum ’The industry association comprising of hundreds of members that have developed the de facto world standard for wireless information and telephony services on digital mobile phones and other wireless terminals.’(from http://www.wapforum.org/faqs/index.htm)
WBMP Wireless BitMaP - WBMP is the default picture format for WAP.
WML Wireless Markup Language - An application of XML used as the default markup language for WAP content.
WMLScript Wireless Markup Language Script - A client side script language for use with WML. Written in a separate file and called from a WML card.
WSP Wireless Session Protocol - A layer in the WAP protocol stack, similar to the HTTP protocol. It controls the connection between a client and the server.
WTA Wireless Telephony Application - Providing interfaces to the telephony part of a mobile phone
WTAI Wireless Telephony Application Interface - makes it possible to develop telephony applications within WAP.
WTLS Wireless Transport Layer Security - - A layer in the WAP protocol stack that handles security and extends SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to the mobile device.

Wireless Telephony:
GSM Global Standard for Mobile Communications (originally ’Groupe Spécial Mobile’) - Digital mobile telephony system mainly used in Europe, South Africa, Australia and many countries in the Middle and Far East. In commercial service since 1991. Frequencies are 900, 1800 and 1900 (in the US & Canada) MHz. Requires a GSM phone.
PCS Personal Communication System - Digital wireless telephony system. Coverage only available in some parts of the US. Uses 1900 Mhz frequency. Requires a PCS phone.
TDMA Time Division Multiple Access - A digital wireless access standard mainly used in the US. Frequencies are normally 800 and 1900 MHz
CDMA Code Division Multiple Access - A digital wireless access standard


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