Sitan Wei Zhiyuan LuZhongmin ShiYang YangXiaowei Song

Agenda

• Introduction to WAP

• WAE and WAP Gateway

• WML Introduction and Implementation

• WMLScript and Dynamic WML Page

• WAP Solution-Success,Challenges, Future

Part 1: Introduction to WAP

• What is WAP?

• WAP Overview

• WAP protocol layer

What is WAP?

• The Wireless Application Protocol(WAP) is an open, global specification that empowers mobile users with wireless devices to easily access and interact with information and services instantly.

• Composed by a set of communication protocol.

WAP Overview

• What type of devices will use WAP? Handheld digital wireless devices such as mobile

phones, pagers, two-way radios, smartphones and communicators -- from low-end to high-end.

WAP Device Manufacturers

Which Wireless Networks Does WAP Work With?

WAP is designed to work with most wireless networks such as CDPD, CDMA, GSM, PDC, PHS, TDMA, FLEX, ReFLEX, iDEN, TETRA, DECT, DataTAC, Mobitex.

WAP Wireless Operators

WAP Software Companies

CCL

SOFTLINE

WAP Example

• http://www.mobilewap.com/mobile/index.html

WAP Features

• Low bandwidth

• Long latency

• Small screen size

• Mobile client

Why WAP?

• WAP enables any data transport

--TCP/IP,UDP/IP,GUTS,SMS or USSD

• WAP utilizes standard Internet markup language technology (XML)

• The WML UI components map well onto existing mobile phone user interface

• WAP utilizes plain Web HTTP1.1 servers

WAP Protocol Stack

• WAE:main interfaces to the client devices and specify a markup language, a scripting language, and a telephony interface.

• WSP:provide connection-based services to the application layer

• WTLS:optional layer which consists of description devices

• WTP WDP and Bearer Service:They provide reliable transmission of WSP data packets between the client and server over a wireless link.

WAP Layers

Part 2: WAP Application EnvironmentPart 2: WAP Application Environment and WAP Gatewayand WAP Gateway

• Overview

• Architecture

• WAP Gateway

• WML and WMLScript

• Content Formats

• Current Development

WAE Overview• For network applications • On small, narrowband devices

• High degree of interoperability

• WAE defines basics: – For WAP user agents

– For WAP gateways.

• WAE contains:– WML and WMLScript specifications

– Wireless Telephony Application Interface (WTAI)

GatewayClientNetwork

Application

WSP/HTTP Request {URL}

WSP/HTTP Reply {Content}

WAE Abstract Network Architecture

Web Server

Content

CGIScripts

etc.

WM

L D

ecks

wit

h W

ML

-Scr

ipt

WAP Gateway

Encoder,Decoder

WMLScriptCompiler

Protocol Adapters

Client

WML

WML-Script

WTAI

Etc.

Static file or CGI Output WML

Static file or CGI Output WML

WAP HTTP

1Request

Encrypted URL Request

2

HTTP Request xxx wml

34

HTTP Response xxx wml

5

Response Encrypted WML

Content

6

7

How It Works

Application Example

Why Do I Need a WAP Gateway?

• Unable connect directly from current WAP devices to web servers.

• Speak a different language between WAP Devices and the Web Servers

• An extra server to handle translation– WAP Gateway, or WAP Proxy

WAP Gateway• Provides a link between a mobile network and Internet

• Converts the 'WAP' request into a 'Web' request

• Converts the 'Web' response into a 'WAP' response

WAP Gateway (cont’d)

• A particular piece of software located on a server • Handles incoming requests from your WAP phone. • Compiling the WML pages into bytecode (WMLC) • Reduce the size and number of packets• Provide hosting capabilities themselves

– For dynamic Web applications– determine more about your target client's request

• Provide transaction security

WML

• Tag-based browsing language:– Screen management (text, images)– Data input (text, selection lists, etc.)– Hyperlinks & navigation support

• W3C XML-based language

• Inherits technology from HDML and HTML

WMLScript

• Scripting language:– Procedural logic, loops, conditionals, etc.– Optimized for small-memory, small-cpu

devices

• Derived from JavaScript™• Integrated with WML

– Powerful extension mechanism– Reduces overall network traffic

Content Formats

• Common interchange formats

• Promoting interoperability

• Formats:– Business cards: IMC vCard standard– Calendar: IMC vCalendar standard– Images: WBMP (Wireless BitMaP)– Compiled WML, WMLScript (Wmlc, Wmlcs)

Content Format Example

Image Element

<WML><CARD> Hello World!<BR/> <IMG SRC=“/world.wbmp” ALT=“[Globe]” /></CARD></WML>

Example Use of an Image:

Current Development• Push Model

– Alerts or service indications– Pre-caching of datahttp://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/eeng/library/prowap.htm

• User Agent Profiles (UAProf)– Goal: content personalization– Working with W3C on CC/PP– Efficient transport over wireless links, cachinghttp://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-CCPP/

Part 3: WML Introduction and Implementation

- Make and display WML page

How to Make WML page

• 1. Write your own code– Write code directly– From a CGI script

• 2. Convert from HTML

• 3. Visual tools

Header

Deck

Card2

Card1Navigation

Variable

SelectElements

Write your own code WML Example

<?xml version="1.0"?> <!DOCTYPE wml PUBLIC "-//WAPFORUM//DTD WML 1.1//EN" "http://www.wapforum.org/DTD/wml_1.1.xml"> <WML> <CARD> <DO TYPE=“ACCEPT”> <GO URL=“#eCard”/> </DO> Welcome! </CARD> <CARD NAME=“eCard”> <DO TYPE=“ACCEPT”> <GO URL=“/submit?N=$(N)&S=$(S)”/> </DO> Enter name: <INPUT KEY=“N”/> Choose speed: <SELECT KEY=“S”> <OPTION VALUE=“0”>Fast</OPTION> <OPTION VALUE=“1”>Slow</OPTION> <SELECT> </CARD></WML>

Write your own code WML Elements

• Deck/Card Elements wml card template head access meta

•Event Elements Do ontimer onpick onevent postfield onenterforward

onenterbackward

•Tasks Go prev efresh noop

•Variables Setvar

•User input Input select option optgroup fieldset

•Anchors, Images, and Timers a anchor img timer

•Text Formatting br p table tr td

<WML> <CARD> <DO TYPE="ACCEPT" LABEL="Next"> <GO URL="#card2"/> </DO> Dalhousie<BR/>Directory </CARD>

<CARD NAME="card2"> <DO TYPE="ACCEPT"> <GO URL="?send=$type"/> </DO> Services <SELECT KEY="type"> <OPTION VALUE="em">1.Email</OPTION> <OPTION VALUE="ph">2.Phone</OPTION> <OPTION VALUE="fx">3.Fax</OPTION> </SELECT> </CARD></WML>

Write your own code Defining the Navigation Path

DalhousieDirectory_____________Next

Services1. Email2. Phone3. Fax .OK

<CARD> <DO TYPE="ACCEPT" LABEL=“Find"> <GO URL="getcity.cgi?location=$city"/> </DO> Forecast <SELECT KEY="city"> <OPTION VALUE="ber">Berlin</OPTION> <OPTION VALUE="rom">Rome</OPTION> <OPTION TITLE="Find" ONCLICK="find.cgi">New City</OPTION> </SELECT></CARD>

Forecast1 Berlin2 Rome3 New City____________Find

Write your own code The SELECT Element

• Display a list of options– Each option may set the KEY variable

and/or bind a task to the ACCEPT key– TITLE= dynamically sets the label string

<WML> <TEMPLATE> <DO TYPE="OPTIONS" LABEL="Main"> <GO URL="main_menu.wml"/> </DO> </TEMPLATE> <CARD NAME="msg1"> <DO TYPE="ACCEPT" LABEL="Next"> <GO URL="#msg2"/> </DO> First story </CARD> <CARD NAME="msg2"> Second story </CARD></WML>

Write your own code The TEMPLATE Element

• Defines actions & events for all cards in a deck

First story…

_____________Next Main

Second story...

_____________OK Main

• <img src=“logo.wbmp" alt=“Logo"/>

• WBMP File Generator – JPG, GIF,BMP -> WBMP– http://amazingvb.latinaddress.com

Write your own code Add Image

Converting HTML to WML

• How– translates non-complex HTML documents in to

WML – tag-by-tag processing and discard all incompatible

tags and contents

• Significance– Dramatically accelerates wireless content

development by using abundant HTML resources

– Zygo: http://wap.z-y-g-o.com• embedded in the Apache web server via the mod_perl

mechanism.• For internal use. • Download: http://wap.z-y-g-o.com/tools/zygo-html2wml.zip• installing the .pm file in the $APACHEROOT/Zygo/

directory and modify Apache httpd.conf file. • The best option of web sites• Enable server error messages to be displayed in handset• Enable Billions of HTML pages, the major resource of

Internet, to be shared by wireless device.

Converting HTML to WML Server Based Converter

Converting HTML to WML User-based Converter• WapTools: http://www.argogroup.com

• to develop wireless applications using only point-and-click and drag-and-drop approach– DotWAP 1.0

• http://www.inetis.com/english/solutions_dotwap.htm

– XYBO v1.4 • http://www.xybo.com/

– MobileDev 2.0 • http://mobiledev.speedware.com/

Visual Tools

Visual Tools Example

How to Display WML Pages

• PDA or Cell phone

• Emulator• SmartPhone Emulator Developer Edition 1.2

– http://www.yospace.com

• WinWAP v3.0 PRO– http://www.slobtrot.com/winwap/

• M3Gate– http://www.m3gate.com/

Online Test

• online utility for code errors, common mistakes, and valid links

– The Wireless Internet Lab of www.AnywhereYouGo.com

Embedded Browser

• YoSpace JavaBean Edition 1.0 & Handset

Manufacturer Support Put WAP emulation capability into your application software using the SmartPhone as a JavaBean

• 5NINE –an open source development project for creating a WML Browser to work with all types of Linux environments.–make wireless device an attractive alternative for hard-ware manufacturers.

• develop and debug WAP programs with standard Java development tools

– Waba SDK and VM• http://www.wabasoft.com

– UP.SDK 4.2• http://developer.openwave.com

Standard Java Classes for WAP

Part 4: WMLScript & Dynamic WML Page

What Is WMLScript

• WMLScript is the client-side scripting language used for WML pages

• WMLScript is based on ECMAScript, like JavaScript

• WML scripts are not embedded in the WML pages, they are sent separately.

What Is WMLScript Used for ?

• WMLScript is used to calculate or validate user input

• WMLScript is used to generate message boxes and dialog boxes locally

• WMLScript is used to access facilities of the user agent 

WMLScript Example

WML source file (check.wml)

<?xml version="1.0"?> <!DOCTYPE wml PUBLIC "-

//WAPFORUM//DTD WML 1.1//EN" "http://www.wapforum.org/DTD/wml_1.1.xml">

<wml> <card id="no1" title="Go to URL"> <do type="options" label="Go"> <go href="check.wmls#go_url(‘$

(url)')"/> </do> <p> Enter a URL: <input

type="text" name="url"/> </p> </card> </wml>

WMLScript source file (check.wmls)

extern function go_url (url) {

if (String.find(url,"http://") < 0) { url="http://"+url;

} WMLBrowser.go(the_url);

}

WMLScript File

• WMLScript source files (*.wmls)• For WML browser or WML simulator

• WMLScript compiled files (*.wmlsc)• For WAP device

– Stored on server

– Compiled by WAP gateway automatically

WMLScript Interpreter

Standard Libraries

• Lang Library (WMLScript language core)• E.g. min(), max(), exit(), abort(), random(), seed()

• Float Library (arithmetic floating-point functions)• E.g. pow(), round(), sqrt()

• String Library (string functions)• E.g. length(), trim(), charAt(), subString(), find(),

replace()

Standard Libraries (cont.)

• URL Library (handling both absolute and relative URL)

• E.g. isValid(), getHost(), getPort(), getParameters(), getQuery()

• Browser Library (access the associated WML context)

• E.g. getVar(), setVar(), go(), prev(), refresh()

• Dialogs Library (user interface functions)• E.g. prompt(), confirm(), and alert()

WMLScript vs. JavaScript

WMLScript

– Used for WML

– No objects & array

– Support library

– Separate file (*.wmls)

– Support compiled file

JavaScript

– Used for HTML

– Support objects & array

– No library

– Embedded in HTML file

– No compiled file

Dynamic WML Page

• Server Side Tools– CGI

• Perl

• C/C++

– ASP – JSP – Java Servlet

Perl Example

#!/usr/bin/perl print "Content-Type: text/vnd.wap.wml\n";print "\n"; print "<?xml version=\"1.0\"?>\n" print "<!DOCTYPE wml PUBLIC \"-//WAPFORUM//DTD WML

1.1//EN\" \n" print "\"http://www.wapforum.org/DTD/wml_1.1.xml\">\n" print "<wml>\n<card id=\"index\" title=\"index\">\n" print "<p>Hello everyone</p>\n" print "</card>\n</wml>"

Web Server Configuration

Apache Serverhttpd.conf

#WML MIME TypeAddType text/vnd.wap.wml .wml

AddType application/vnd.wap.wmlc .wmlc

AddType text/vnd.wap.wmlscript .wmls

AddType application/vnd.wap.wmlscriptc .wmlsc

AddType image/vnd.wap.wbmp .wbmp

Part 5: WAP Solutions

• Success• Challenges• Future

Available Wireless Services

• Voice

• SMS – Short Message Service

• Data (over voice)

• WAP – simplistic and expensive

Attractions of WAP

• WAP combines two of the fastest growing industries: wireless and the Internet IP

• WAP is an attempt to define the standard for how content from the Internet is filtered for mobile communications

• WAP is developed to make readily available content from the Internet easily available to mobile terminals

WAP: Scalable and Comprehensive

• Any mobile phone

• Any existing or planned wireless service

• Any mobile network standard

• Multiple input terminals

Fast Growing of WAP

• WAP Forum Limited• Over 450 members

device manufacturersnetwork operatorsSMS center suppliersSMS software suppliers

• Other vendors

WAP: Major Achievements

• Reduces resources and enriches the functionality of the network

• Generates additional traffic on the network and revenue

• Facilitates migration of applications between networks and bearers

WAP Achievement: Examples• Web browsing • WAP email• WAP conference• WAP search• Document sharing• Collaborative working• Still images

WAP Promises: Examples• Moving images

• Home automation

• Job dispatch

• Remote point of sale

• Customer service

• Remote monitoring (Meters)

• Vehicle positioning

• Remote LAN access

• File transfer

WAP: Challenges - Commercial

• End-to-end security

• Client identification

• Encryption/Authentication

WAP Challenges - Network

• Less bandwidth (300 bps to 9600 bps)

• More latency

• Less connection stability

• Less predictive availability

WAP Challenges - Usability

• Screen size

• Advanced applications

• Data input

• Integration with voice

                                                                                                  

WAP Challenges - Legal Issues

• Privacy: Location information

• Eavesdropping                                  

WAP: Detractors and Controversies • Difficult to configure for new services• Unlikely in a long time-few mobile phones support• WAP standard is incomplete• WAP gateway vendors competing against each other• Other protocols already widely supported or designed to supercede WAP• WAP services be expensive

• Example of doubt on WAP’s future

http://www.infoworld.com/

New Era of Wireless

• Next release of WAP

• WSG work area

• WTLS services

• WDP datagram protocol

Competition for WAP

• Subscriber identity module (SIM) toolkit

• Windows CE

• JavaPhone™

Reference

• http://www.sce.carleton.ca/wmc/chameleon/wapdoc/wapintro.html

• http://www.iec.org/tutorials/wap/topic04.html

• http://www.anywhereyougo.com/wap/Article.po?type=WAP_Tutorial&page=7402

• http://www.tenetindia.com/Wap/whatswap/Faq/Faq.asp

• http://www.tenetindia.com/Wap/Resources/Software/Software.asp?choice=Resources

• http://www.123wapinfo.com/softwares/

• http://allnetdevices.com/faq/?faqredir=yes

• http://www.palowireless.com/wap/

• http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/eeng/library/eeng_wapexpo.htm

• http://www9.org/w9cdrom/228/228.html

?WAP or NOT WAP