WML: Getting Your Wireless Site Online Three Simple Steps How To View Wireless Sites Using a PC's Browser WAP Search Engines WML Validators
The presence of
wireless / mobile / hand-held world is becoming more apparent daily. With introduction of WML (wire less markup language) and creation of WAP (wireless application protocol) several years ago, ability of having not only a web site, but also a wireless web site is a reality. Actually, with never ending advances in wireless technology, having a wireless web site is really not an option, especially in business world.
Mobile devices provide access to basic information coupled with freedom from restraints of static desktop or less than always convenient, laptop. Innovations are allowing mobile devices, i.e. cellular phones, PDAs (personal digital assistants), and hand-held devices (pocket PCs, Palm Pilots, Blackberrys etc) to become increasingly more compact. To compensate for their small sizes, these devices are becoming more powerful with a variety of screen sizes and improved display and color capabilities. This is not to mention other wireless 'smart devices/appliances' that are also on horizon.
Because of their limited dimensions, wireless devices contain a special micro-browser which has limited capacities and is not able to present web sites written in HTML. Wireless web sites are written in WML, which is similar to and simpler than HTML. Understand that though simpler than HTML, WML is part of XML and as such syntax and rules are much stricter.
A wireless site is called a deck and 'pages' are referred to as cards. The particulars of writing code for a mobile device in WML is another subject. Rather let's focus on now that you have created a wireless web site, how to get it online so that it can be accessed by those using hand-held devices. So let's go.
Three Simple Steps
1. Adding a small amount of information to your current sever 2. Making a file called - .htaccess - and uploading it 3. Including one other line
As with HTML, there are WML editors and hosting companies that are available to put a wireless web site together and get it online. Some of hype tends to make it seem that only special hosting companies are capable of handling a site written in WML.
In fact, any service capable of hosting a web site host can also host a wireless web site, i.e. your current web site's host!
1. Adding Information to your Server
First, as you are aware, there are a number of different servers in use. The following steps apply to those whose host is using an Apache server or another NCSA-based server. A Windows server is another story and has different requirements to contend with. (see Openwave for specific information regarding Windows server). This step, as well as following steps, apply to Apache servers.
A few simple lines of information need to be added to your Apache server. They include;
DirectoryIndex index.wml addtype 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
These line allow your server to 'tell' a browser what type of document to expect. The 'wml' addtype lines refer to wml text, scripts, and applications. The 'wbmp' addtype line includes special image format that must be used for images on a wireless site, file extension of .wbmp.
2. Making - .htaccess - File
Using your favorite HTML editor or something like Notepad, create a file that contains above lines of information. This file is designated as .htaccess, it must have dot in front of h! A simple way of doing this would be to initially name your new file something like 'abc.htm'. Upload it into your HTML directory and once there simply rename it to .htaccess. You have now added a file called .htaccess to your HTML directory where you can now also place your WML files. Of course, .htaccess file can be placed in any directory where you will place your WML files.
