WML: An Introduction
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Full-house, Go-Fish, and Blackjack – some of my favorite games to play when I’m with friends. Alright, maybe that’s not true, but they’re definitely a way to pass the time. The words “deck” and “card” are synonymous to playing cards. However, they are also the terms used when developing WAP-enabled websites using WML. In this tutorial, I’ll give a breakdown on just what WAP and WML are and how they can be used. We’ll also run through creating a simple WAP-enabled site making use of multiple cards in a deck. There will be ample code to get you started on developing your own WAP-enabled site, whether for fun or for business..
WML & WAP – They’re No University Degrees
WML stands for Wireless Markup Language and is similar to HTML in that tags are used to create pages. However, WML is defined as an XML 1.0 application, and is, therefore, a much more strict language when it comes to coding pages. Newer specifications of WML support XHTML tags, as well as the use of TABLE and FORM tags; although it’s not recommended to use them since they increase file size, thus defeating the purpose of creating lightweight pages.
WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol that uses WML, an XML-based specification, that allowing mobile users with wireless-enabled devices to send and receive information and services instantly. WAP is used for devices ranging from cell phones, pagers, PDAs, as well as smartphones, and is considered a lightweight protocol in that the WML cards (pages) are very small in size and the data transmitted and received can be relatively small as well.
Some will argue that WAP is dead. Others contend that although it’s not as widely used as was originally intended, WAP does have its benefits. As you’ll see further in this article, using WML to build a WAP-enabled website does have its advantages.
Next: Deal 'Em, Baby! >>
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