RE: Alertbox: WAP Backlash

by Francois de Beer <fbeer(at)sars.gov.za>
Date:	Wed, 12 Jul 2000 12:33:57 +0200
To:	hwg-basics(at)mail.hwg.org
	todo: View Thread, Original
Please Excuse spelling and note that this is samples, not usable code.

WAP (as far as i know) stands for Wireless Application Protocol.
According to what i understand, There is a difference between Wireless
browsers and WAP utilities/handsets/cellphones.

You can: Use a celphone (Line Nokia's 9110 range) to "Browse" the web or you
can use a WAP  phone (Like Nokia's 7110 Range) to open up a WAP Application
via a gateway.

I understand it as such:
Mobile browsing is exactly what it sez, You use your "cellphone" to browse
Existing sites on the web. HTML, XML ETC (VERY slow!)

WAP is an Application based WML Files, "Web Pages" are called CARDS. It
looks and works exactly like your normal phone's Menu etc (It's "Operating
System") It is fast, text AND image based. Formatted with the handheld
device in mind. 

You will not Redevelop your website to be WAP compatible. You will however
code your asp to generate XML/HTML/DHTML for web browsers (be it a mobile
browser or computer based browser) AND/OR WML for people accesing the
application via a mobile WAP utility.

It's Actually quite easy...
In ASP. You will return DATA to the browser as in:

Response.write "<HTML>"
Response.write "<HEAD>"
Response.write "</HEAD>"
Response.write "<BODY>"
Response.write "<a href='apply.asp'>No</a>"
Response.write "<a href='SubmitServ.asp'>Yes</a>"

Response.Write "<p>"
	Response.Write "Is this Correct?<br/>")
	Response.Write "<small>"
	Response.Write "Val1 = " & var1 & "<br/>"
	Response.Write "Val2 = " & var2 & "<br/>"
	Response.Write "Val3 = " & var3 & "<br/>"
	Response.Write "Val4 = " & var4 & "<br/>"
Response.Write "</small></p>"
Response.write "</BODY>"
Response.write "</HTML>"




For WML:

Response.ContentType  = "text/vnd.wap.wml"
Response.write("<?xml version=""1.0""?>) etc...

Response.Write("<card id=""Submit"">")
	Response.Write("<do type=""options"" label=""No"">")
		Response.Write("<go href=""#apply""/><!-- <prev/> -->")
	Response.Write("</do>")
	Response.Write("<do type=""prev"" label=""Yes"">")
		Response.Write("<go href=""#SubmitServ"">")
		Response.Write("</go>")
	Response.Write("</do>")

	Response.Write("<p>")
		Response.Write("Is this Correct?<br/>")
		Response.Write("<small>")
		Response.Write("Val1 = $(var1) <br/>")
		Response.Write("Val2 = $(var2) <br/>")
		Response.Write("Val3 = $(var3) <br/>")
		Response.Write("Val4 = $(var4) <br/>")
	Response.Write("</small></p>")
Response.Write("</card>")

We use WAP to get formatted data to a cellphone by using ASP to collect the
data from a Database and then generate WML to return to the
cellphone/handset.

So if you think about it, only your ASP applications have to be written to
cater for both and it is NOT so difficult

For the prev Example you can go:

<% 

'ALL your Data Accessing Here!
'Assingn Values to variables etc
'Then when it comes to displaying it back to the user:

'IF satetement for browsertype.
'If Computer Browser:

Response.write "<HTML>"
Response.write "<HEAD>"
Response.write "</HEAD>"
Response.write "<BODY>"
Response.write "<a href='apply.asp'>No</a>"
Response.write "<a href='SubmitServ.asp'>Yes</a>"

Response.Write "<p>"
	Response.Write "Is this Correct?<br/>")
	Response.Write "<small>"
	Response.Write "Val1 = " & var1 & "<br/>"
	Response.Write "Val2 = " & var2 & "<br/>"
	Response.Write "Val3 = " & var3 & "<br/>"
	Response.Write "Val4 = " & var4 & "<br/>"
Response.Write "</small></p>"
Response.write "</BODY>"
Response.write "</HTML>"

'Else
Response.ContentType  = "text/vnd.wap.wml"
Response.write("<?xml version=""1.0""?>) etc...

Response.Write("<card id=""Submit"">")
	Response.Write("<do type=""options"" label=""No"">")
		Response.Write("<go href=""#apply""/><!-- <prev/> -->")
	Response.Write("</do>")
	Response.Write("<do type=""prev"" label=""Yes"">")
		Response.Write("<go href=""#SubmitServ"">")
		Response.Write("</go>")
	Response.Write("</do>")

	Response.Write("<p>")
		Response.Write("Is this Correct?<br/>")
		Response.Write("<small>")
		Response.Write("Val1 = $(var1) <br/>")
		Response.Write("Val2 = $(var2) <br/>")
		Response.Write("Val3 = $(var3) <br/>")
		Response.Write("Val4 = $(var4) <br/>")
	Response.Write("</small></p>")
Response.Write("</card>")
'End if
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