WAP Development with WML and WMLScript (With CD-ROM)

Very few people come to the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) with no relevant experience at all. Most often, developers attempting to put together a solution with Wireless Markup Language (WML) and WMLScript have markup-language experience with HTML and scripting-language experience with JavaScript or one of its competitors. In WAP Development with WML and WMLScript, Ben Forta and his merry band of collaborators do a great job of leveraging background knowledge of Web development as they teach their readers about wireless application technologies. Some readers may wish for more coverage of specific WAP application servers' characteristics, but the wealth of examples here--combined with the fine WML and WMLScript references that conclude this text--will get most developers into experiment-and-create mode very quickly.

Fans of Forta's other books--he's best known for his work with ColdFusion, and indeed this book includes a section on integrating ColdFusion into a WAP application--will recognize the tutorial style. It relies heavily on example code, usually in the form of independently functional programs rather than disembodied snippets. It's helpful to be able to run a program that does nothing but show how, for instance, a selection list works. Commentary is similarly handy: it makes frequent reference to other languages, pointing out ways in which WML and WMLScript are similar to and different from Web development languages. --David Wall

Topics covered: The application development languages--wireless markup language (WML) and WMLScript--associated with the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) 1.2 specification. The basics of syntax and structure are covered, followed by detailed exploration of images, user input mechanisms, and electronic mail integration. The authors give their opinions on "best practices," and present several complete applications. WML and WMLScript references appear, too.