By SoftSteel
This tutorial takes you through the basics of WAP, and provides all the information you need to create your own WAP pages using the Wireless Markup Language (WML). The WMLScript tutorial that we promised has unfortunately had to be postponed, however. We shall return to it when we have time.
WAP - the Wireless Application Protocol - is a suite of network protocols that specify ways of sending data across the airwaves. As with such protocol suites, they are organised hierarchically. At the bottom there are low-level protocols that are concerned with establishing connections, coding alphanumeric characters, etc. At the top there are the high-level protocols such as WML - the Wireless Markup Language - which is concerned with passing page information.
This set of tutorials is concerned with WML. Being web programmers, rather than network engineers, this is what we're interested in. WAP as a whole has been designed to take into account various limitations in handsets and networks. Because the networks are slow, and the handsets unable to carry much memory or power, an effort has been made to make all of the elements as efficient as possible. It is not clear at present whether any of this efficiency has been gained at the cost of functionality - if so, then WAP will be under threat when the fast mobile networks are commonplace and handset technology has improved. But if other things remain equal, then WAP's efficiency will continue to contribute towards its success.
WAP - the Wireless Application Protocol - is a suite of network protocols that specify ways of sending data across the airwaves. As with such protocol suites, they are organised hierarchically. At the bottom there are low-level protocols that are concerned with establishing connections, coding alphanumeric characters, etc. At the top there are the high-level protocols such as WML - the Wireless Markup Language - which is concerned with passing page information.
This set of tutorials is concerned with WML. Being web programmers, rather than network engineers, this is what we're interested in. WAP as a whole has been designed to take into account various limitations in handsets and networks. Because the networks are slow, and the handsets unable to carry much memory or power, an effort has been made to make all of the elements as efficient as possible. It is not clear at present whether any of this efficiency has been gained at the cost of functionality - if so, then WAP will be under threat when the fast mobile networks are commonplace and handset technology has improved. But if other things remain equal, then WAP's efficiency will continue to contribute towards its success.
