Practical WAP: Developing Applications for the Wireless Web / Edition 1 available in Paperback
Practical WAP: Developing Applications for the Wireless Web / Edition 1
- ISBN-10:
- 0521005612
- ISBN-13:
- 9780521005616
- Pub. Date:
- 04/19/2001
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- ISBN-10:
- 0521005612
- ISBN-13:
- 9780521005616
- Pub. Date:
- 04/19/2001
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
Practical WAP: Developing Applications for the Wireless Web / Edition 1
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780521005616 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Publication date: | 04/19/2001 |
| Series: | Breakthroughs in Application Development , #4 |
| Edition description: | New Edition |
| Pages: | 448 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.06(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.94(d) |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Excerpt from
Chapter 1: Introduction
...specific services. If you think this raises issues of privacy and confidentiality, you're right! Subscription models and explicit user permission will be the norm for these classes of application. It is in these uncharted waters that there is potential for the next "killer app."
THE REALITY
Although wireless technology holds great promise for delivering new realms of applications, the limitations of wireless networks and devices impose considerable constraints on application delivery. Wireless communications technology labors under limitations that are unheard of in the desktop Internet world. These include relatively low bandwidth networks, air time-based pricing models, and device limitations imposed by the constraints of portability.The prevalent ("second") generation (2G) digital cell phone networks have typical transfer rates of well under 9600 bits per second, more than four times as slow as a typical dial-up desktop connection (actual 2G wireless transfer rates range from below 2000 bits per second to just under ten times this for sustained transmissions). In addition, unlike the Internet's IP (Internet Protocol) standard, there is no one digital mobile network standard. The two primary types of digital networks, circuit switched and packet switched, further complicate things, as do geographic differences; Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) dominates Europe and has the largest world share, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) are common in North America, and Personal Digital Cellular (PDC) is prevalent in Japan. If this is not enough complexity for you, enhanced second-generation (2.5G) are in early deployment in some countries and third-generation (3G) mobile networks are under development. These newer networks promise bandwidth matching current high-speed desktop connections and a new fistful of acronyms! Despite the hype, realistically it will be a few years before these next generation networks enjoy widespread coverage outside major population centers.
Network technology is just one part of the wireless equation. Unlimited Internet access that is already the norm in several countries contrasts with the by-the-minute access charges of cellular providers. As digital networks evolve from the relatively inefficient connection-oriented circuit-switched networks to those that employ packet switching, this pricing model will be challenged. With packet-switched networks, users share bandwidth and will most likely be charged either a flat fee or charged based on the amount of data they transport over the network. In addition, the mobile electronic commerce value chain has not yet solidified. Who controls access to applications, collects payments, and "owns" the customers is a matter of heated debate, with mobile-carriers, service providers, merchants, and financial institutions all vying for their share.
Another factor is the mobile device. Because of the inherent limitations of size and battery power, wireless devices have less powerful processors and memory, smaller displays, and limited input choices. Typical displays range from 3-line, 12-character phone displays to the relatively rich quarter-VGA interfaces provided by some hand-helds. Due to battery concerns, most displays provide only monochrome capabilities. Processors in mobile devices range from minimal microprocessors found in cell phones to the 32-bit processors that power Palm OS, Windows Pocket PC, and Symbian EPOC hand-helds. Perhaps the most significant difference between wireless and the desktop is input options, which range from the telephone keypad with soft-key support to minute QWERTY keypads and stylus-based entry.
DEJA VU
In order to cope with the unique problems of mobile Internet access, a number of proprietary solutions have emerged, reminiscent of the preInternet era where bulletin boards were the primary mode of network connectivity. Today, most wireless connectivity solutions rely on devicespecific, custom client development and a proprietary server at a central provider's site. One example is the Short Message Service (SMS), a popular wireless solution in Europe that provides two-way messaging and data access applications. Another is Phone.com's Unwired Planet (UP) architecture that makes use of a proprietary Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML) to provide thin client access from UP browsers to Web applications via a UP gateway server. Similarly, Palm Computing's Web Clipping applications rely on an installed client and a connection to a Palm server to deliver filtered Internet content. Although these solutions work, none deliver on the promise of flexible ubiquitous mobile Internet access. Only SMS has become a de facto standard, but it is limited by very short messages (160 characters) and a complex infrastructure. Clearly what is needed is a way to provide everything that SMS, Web Clipping, and HDML offer but using technology that builds on existing standards. This is where WAP comes in.
THE WIRELESS APPLICATION PROTOCOL
The Wireless Application Protocol is a global standard for bringing Internet content and services to mobile phones and other wireless devices. The WAP standards are maintained by an industry consortium called the WAP Forum. Founded by Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and Phone.com (previously known as Unwired Planet) in June 1997, WAP Forum membership now exceeds 500 organizations, representing over 95 percent of the global handset market. The WAP Forum also includes members who are infrastructure providers, software companies, and content providers. The goal of the WAP Forum is to address the problems of wireless Internet access, ensuring that such access is not limited by bearer, vendor, or underlying network technology. WAP has been accepted as a de facto industry standard, and it is estimated that 95 percent of smart phones shipped to the United States and western Europe in 2003. will be Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) enabled (source: "Unwiring the IP Network with Global Standards WAP and Bluetooth," Strategy Analytics Inc., May 1999).
OVERVIEW OF THIS BOOK
The remainder of this book focuses on WAP (versions 1.1 to 1.3) and how to develop applications using the WAP standards. In the remainder of Part 1 we explore the ins and outs of the WAP specifications, look at client devices, and examine current alternatives to WAR We define what makes an application suitable for a mobile audience and provide an overview of WAP-based application areas. This part concludes with a look at the tools we can use to build and deploy applications. Part 2, "The WAP Development Standards," provides an in-depth exploration of Wireless Markup Language (WML) and its accompanying scripting language, WMLScript. We also cover push technology, which is a key component in messaging and time-critical applications.Part 3, "WAP in Practice," gets down to business with advice on designing applications, architectural choices, usability and testing, and a complete development case study that follows a WAP application from concept to deployment. We wrap up with a look at the future of WAP.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Part 1 provides a comprehensive technical overview of WAP and should be read by all readers. Part 2 contains tutorial-style guides to WML, WMLScript, and push development. These chapters are a must-read for developers, and the push chapter, in particular, will be of interest to architects and technical managers. The design factors and architectures chapters in Part 3 are aimed at architects and developers. The remaining chapters, "Usability and Testing," "Application Development Case Study," and "Future of WAP," should be useful to all readers.
A NOTE ON EXAMPLES
Most of the examples in this book were created as static WML pages and rendered using the UP SDK 4.0 simulator available from updevphone.com. This simulator emulates the Phone.com browser, which is licensed to several phone vendors worldwide and popular in the United States. Some examples were produced using the Nokia 7110 simulator that comes with the Nokia 2.0 Toolkit. All examples were tested on both simulators, and major differences are noted in the text. We discuss these tools and other simulators and toolkits in Chapter 4...Table of Contents
Part I. A WAP Primer: 1 Introduction; 2 Technical overview; 3 Applications; 4 Tools; Part II. The WAP Development Standards: 5 Wireless Markup Language; 6 Wireless Markup Language - beyond the basics; 7 WMLScript; 8 Push applications; Part III. WAP in Practice: 9 Design factors; 10 Architectures; 11 Usability and testing; 12 Application development case study; 13 Future of WAP; Appendix A. WML 1.3 Reference; Appendix B. Source code; Glossary.Foreword
Forward
Imagine that your TV set had a satellite or cable service connection and no programming coming in to add life to the screen. Imagine going to the theater and having the lights dim and no performers appear on the stage. Or, imagine using your PC to access the World Wide Web without any sites to visit.This is a world without content. It's an empty, boring, unprofitable world. It's not the kind of world that you want to live in, nor do I. The world that I want to live in is vibrant, full of exciting things to do, charged with energy and convenience, and appealing from all perspectives.
Content, you see, is king. Without it, technology is only a mechanism, a pipe within which nothing flows. That's what developing applications for Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) enabled devices is all about - delivering content to people on the go anytime, anyone, anywhere. Filling that pipe.
As the CEO of the WAP Forum, one of my key charters is to do whatever I can to help bring compelling, fascinating content to WAP users around the world. And that is what this book can help you do. Learning how to develop applications using WML, WMLScript, and other tools opens a door for you to a world that few developers have had access to before. It's the place where you want to be for these reasons:
- By 2004 more people will access the Internet from wireless devices than from PCs.
- By the end of 2001 every phone from every manufacturer will come standard with a WAP browser.
- Wireless phone users purchase new phones roughly every 14 to 18 months, depending on the location, meaning that in just a few short years every phone in everyone's hands will have a WAP browser.
- Hundreds of operators around the world have already deployed, or are planning to deploy, WAP services.
- Hundreds of companies have demonstrated their commitment to WAP by becoming members of the WAP Forum and contributing to the development and evolution of WAR
You are secure in your development of WAP applications (or "WAPplications" as I like to call them) because WAP will be around for a very long time. Just as Netscape and Internet Explorer evolved from their first iterations, WAP is already doing the same. The WAP browsers and supporting technology of tomorrow won't be the same as today's. As thirdgeneration (3G) wireless networks become a reality, WAP will be there to provide browsers that are specifically tuned to meet the challenges of, and to capitalize on, the unique characteristics of mobile devices:
- Limited
- RAM/ROM
- Small screens
- Fewer keys
- One-finger navigation
- Location-based information
- Portability
- Always on, always in your pocket
In addition, when 3G is here, WAP will be critical to help manage the spectrum that operators are paying billions of dollars to use. Those investments demand techniques that wring out every last iota of capacity in order to be able to amortize the costs. And when 4G, 5G, 6G, and others become a reality, WAP will be here, too, because the specification is organic - it evolves to take advantage of the improvements in handsets and networks.
Even in the very near future, WAP will evolve. Soon we will migrate the specification to accommodate XHTML, the next-generation rendering language of the Internet, making it even easier for developers to write an application once and have it render properly on a variety of different devices - a scenario sure to expand in the future with browsers to be found on car screens, home appliances, cash registers, wireless devices, PCs, TVs, and so on.
But we won't forget our heritage as we migrate to XHTML and perhaps to other technologies in the future - WAP is committed to backward compatibility.
So go forth and create applications that make people say, "Wow!" Develop WAP sites that are so compelling, consumers or businesspeople will recognize them as their own personal killer apps. Use your imagination to conjure up new markets, new services, and new products. WAP will serve as the foundation for your community to develop these products and services around the world.
What you do with WAP - a robust, durable framework for turning these ideas into reality - is up to you. But I have faith in this community of developers. I fully expect you to turn my dreams into your reality - and I look forward to that day with great anticipation.
Keep WAPping!
Scott Goldman
CEO, WAP Forum Ltd.