Building a WML Processor - Ouch

The essence of WML is that it not only describes a collection of information but also describes the paticulars of how that information should be processed by an agent. In a lot of ways the data *is* the application. WML 1.2 just seems too ambiguous to even begin to think that one WML Deck will behave the same way in any two agents.

For instance, how exactly should I expect to process the following:

<option onpick="../foo.wml">
look at our fine selection
<onevent type="you tell me">
<go href="bar.wml">
</onevent>of canned meats</option>

Is there a precedence between an OnEvent action and an Onpick action?

Should we infer any significance in the placement of the OnEvent element?

What if the referenced card is of the type
<card newcontext="true">
meaning the entire stack is cleared? Now where am I? and how the heck do I get back to where I was?

JDR

Hi,

I dont think your code is <well formed> and therefore cant be considered XML(WML) and should be rejected by your application.

I bet that helps ... better reply coming soon.

You might want to read the article recently posted here at DevShed:
http://www.devshed.com/Client_Side/...mystifyingWML1/

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From the day we're born, we're running out of time.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JoelFord:
You might want to read the article recently posted here at DevShed:
http://www.devshed.com/Client_Side/XML/DemystifyingWML1/

[/quote]

I thought the WAP Intro was well written, but I found it a little light on content.

I like the deck/card metaphor and at that level I think WAP is off to a good start. But (IMHO) there is a degree of detail missing from the specification that implementors need in order to ensure that all
WAP processors treat a given deck in the same way.

I haven't seen anything in the WAP specs that would tell me in an unambiguous way how my example ought to behave in a processor.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica">quote:</font><HR>
I haven't seen anything in the WAP specs that would tell me in an unambiguous way how my example ought to behave in a processor.
[/B][/quote]

There are some guidelines on how the WAP pages are supposed to be implemented in the mobile devices from WAP Forum.
But its entirely up to the manufacturer of the mobile device to decide how they want to implement it designwise, just like any browser.
You can however get designguides from both Nokia and Ericsson, and tada, you can get geader info on what browser it that wants to look at your wap page, and generate one with a suitable layout.

The method by which I implement a bahavior is one thing. What I'm talking about is the specification for what the behavior "is". If we leave this up to the implementor then no deck will behave the same way on any two devices and we end up with all kinds of WML "enhancements" from developers looking for market share. Now why does that problem sound so familiar?...

Because it is a young technology. It still needs to mature, and maye even go from companies like Nokia to consortiums and full-standard bodies like the W3C.

But you are definitiley right, because in my short trip into the land of PHP/WML I found out that the situation is like the one with HTML and the early browsers...Yuck.

if what your saying is to my understanding (which is limited) its about the way a page views on two different devices. for instance

on a wap site i use

<option type""> etc etc

will show a radio button on my samsung (eek at adverts lol)

and show a link on my ericsson,
something to do with the phones browser software i dont doubt,

but yes i think that you should source the different companies and try to come up with a reasonable script without too much compromise, i mean is it that big a deal that one phone may get an extra line or a different type of input? what matters is that your script works on all devices,

regards

em, soultaker, this thread is almost 6 years old man...