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Wireless Internet & Wireless Internet & m-Businessm-Business

Objectives :To provide an overview of wireless technologies and applicationsTo examine various wireless standards,platforms and programming languagesTo introduce Wireless Markup Language (WML)To explore the use of WML elements in creating Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) applicationsTo understand the relationship between WML and WMLScriptTo review aspects of writing simple WMLScript programs

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1.1M-Business

M-Business or mobile business, e-business enabled by wireless communications

Able to reach users effectively and allow them instant access to business-critical information and communication capabilities at any time, from almost anywhere

Give benefits to businesses, employers ,employees and consumers.

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WAP and WML

1997- WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) was developed by dominant-cell phone manufacturers Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and others to facilitate the introduction and standardization of Wireless Internet Access.

WAP- a set of communications protocols that are designed to enable wireless devices to access the Internet.

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WAP and WML (cont..)

WAP applications can be used on Palm OSS, Windows CE, Mac OS and Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) devices.

WAP communications involves many components. Focus on 3 – WAP-enabled mobile device, WAP

gateway and Web Server.

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WAP and WML (cont..)

WAP-enabled mobile device

WAP gateway

Web Server

Internet

Request informati-on from Internet

WML - HTTP

connect

has connection

Process request : Search through existing databases and information resources, i.e web pages

Send requested information

WML HTTP

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WAP and WML (cont..)

WML (Wireless Markup Language) –markup language used to create Web content delivered to wireless handheld devices.

WML tags –markup commands that specify how a web page should be formatted for viewing on a wireless device.

WAP supports WML to deliver the content.

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WAP and WML (cont..)

A WML document is called a deck; each contains one or more pages, called cards.

One of WML’s most important capabilities is its ability to create hyperlinks between WML documents on the web. Both text and images can be used as links to other decks.

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WAP and WML (cont..)

Example of linking to external card

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WAP and WML (cont..) WAP also have may opponents. Disadvantages cited by WAP opponents:

Protocolpossible security breaches, limited bandwidth, unreliability

Limited bandwidth – WAP-enabled devices unable to handle transmission of multimedia, but can also become overloaded during peak hours

Above limitations cause B2B and B2C application developers to anticipate the release of faster 3G technologies and new WAP specification.

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Phone Simulator and Setup Instructions

There are two most popular WAP browsers used for the development and testing of WAP applications. Nokia®

Openwave Setup instructions can be obtained from Cyber

Tech web page.

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Creating WML documents 1. WML documents will be saved in .wml file

extension.2. Install the WAP browsers - Nokia® / Openwave3. Example : Openwave4. To simulate WAP applications by using the

Openwave browser, WAP documents must be requested from a Web server., such as Apache or IIS.

5. Install a Web server – example : IIS

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Creating WML documents (cont..)

6. After IIS has been installed, copy the WML files to \Inetpub\wwwroot folder.

7. Configure IIS to respond to requests for WAP documents

8. To request a document, it is necessary to launch the Openwave Simulator. This is achieved by typing localhost/file name.wml ,in the Openwave Simulator’s address field.

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Simple WML Documents

1) <? xml version = “1.0” ?>2) <!DOCTYPE wml PUBLIC “-//WAPFORUM??DTD WML 1.2//EN”3) “http://www.wapforum.org/DTD/wml112.dtd”>4) 5) <wml>6) <card id = “index” title = “WML Title”>7) <p>8) Welcome to wireless programming!9) </p>10) </card>11) </wml>

This text will be displayed in the browser window.

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Program Output

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Creating WML documents (cont..)

The root element for every WML document is wml.

Line 6 contains the opening card element. Card element has two important attributes.

id – uniquely identifies the card title – displays a title at the top of most

browser windows

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Creating WML documents (cont..) All text in a WML document is placed between

<p> tags that are nested within <card> tags.

Common Programming Error

WML element and attribute names are case sensitive, must be written in lower case

Writing a WML tag in uppercase – syntax error Every WML document requires a minimum of one

card element Failure to include – syntax error

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WMLScript Programming

WMLScript – enhance the functionality of WML documents

Relationship between WML and WMLScript = XHTML and JavaScript

Difference of above relationship – WMLScript is placed in a separate document and cannot be embedded inside a WML document.

WMLScript documents will be saved in .wmls file extension.

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WMLScript Programming (cont..)

1) // welcomeDoc.wmls2) extern function welcome() 3) {4) // creating a browser variable and assigning it

a // value5) WMLBrowser.setVar( "welcome", 6) "Welcome to WMLScript programming!" );7) // refresh the display window8) WMLBrowser.refresh();9) } Method setVar creates a browser variable

welcome with the value of the string “Welcome to WMLScript programming”.

Method refresh refreshes the browser and all variable values.

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WMLScript Programming (cont..)

Openwave’s browser contains a WMLScript interpreter for the execution of WMLScript commands.

Line 2-9 define function welcome. Keyword extern denotes that the function is

externally accessible to other WML and WMLScript documents.

WMLScript provides objects for performing common mathematical calculations, string manipulations, browser manipulations and other functions.

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WMLScript Programming (cont..)

WMLScript provides the WMLBrowser object for interacting with the browser.

Line 5-6 call the WMLBrowser object’s setVar method to create a browser variable named welcome and to assign it a string.

Line 8 calls the WMLBrowser object’s refresh method to update (refresh) the values of all browser variables.

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WMLScript Programming (cont..)

1) <!-- Fig. 23.7: fig23_7.wml -->2) <!-- Printing a line of text -->

3) <wml>4) <card id = "Line" title = "Line">

5) <onevent type = "onenterforward">6) <!-- call function welcome -->7) <go href = "welcomeDoc.wmls#welcome()" />8) </onevent>

9) <p>$welcome </p>10)</card>11)</wml>

Dereferencing browser variable welcome displays its value.

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Program Output

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WMLScript Programming (cont..)

Above WML document invokes function welcome in welcomeDoc.wmls

The result of function welcome is displayed by the WML document.

Line 5 contain the onevent element that invokes WMLScript function welcome.

The onevent element is an event element that executes a task element, such as the go element (line 7),which is wrapped in its tags.

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WMLScript Programming (cont..)

Above attribute type is set to “onenterforward”.

This executes the task element go when the card is loaded.

Function welcome in welcomeDoc.wmls is invoked in Line 7 by assigning to attribute href the WMLScript document name followed by a # sign and the function name.

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WMLScript Programming (cont..)Common Programming Error

Failure to enclose link addresses in quotes –syntax error

When referencing a function from an href attribute’s value, failure to precede a function name with a pound sign (#) –runtime error.

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WMLScript Programming (cont..)Common Programming Error

When referencing a function from an href attribute’s value, failure to follow the function name with a set of parentheses –logic error.

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Wireless Protocols, Platforms and Programming Languages

Programming languages, platforms and protocols are pivotal development and implementation tools for wirell communications.

Often , several programming languages, platforms and protocols are used simultaneously in a single wirelless technology development.

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WAP 2.0 Released in 2001

Specifies XHTML Basic to replace WML as the markup language used by wirelless devices to render web content

Give benefits to wirelless device manufacturers, web content developers and users

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Wirelless device manufacturers – allowing them to develop compatible mobile devices and applications

Web content developers – able to create Web pages for such platforms as diverse as mobile phones, PDAs,pagers,webTV and desktop computers

Users – able to access to a wider selection of cotent that is easier to navigate

WAP 2.0 (cont..)

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WAP 2.0 will likely include WML extensions that allow programmers to embed WML within the XHTML Basic markup

Features such as soft keys that are not supported by XHTML Basic will be implemented using WML

Expected to include specifications for color,animation and multimedia features as MP3 audio and MPEG video streaming

WAP 2.0 (cont..)

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Handheld Devices Markup Languages ( HDML )

HDML was one of the markup languages used to deliver content handheld devices

Originally developed in 1996 by a company called Unwired Planet ( known as Openwave )

Similar to HTML, which is used to design and format web pages

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However, HTML is not effective for use on devices with limited screen sizes and viewing capabilities

Although HDML was implemented in millions of devices when it was first introduced, it has been replaced with other emerging standards that support 2.5G and 3G technologies

HDML eventually evolved into WML

Handheld Devices Markup Languages ( HDML ) (cont..)

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Japan and parts of Europe – consumer wirelless devices function using WAP and no longer support HDML

However, some CDMA-based phones in US and Canada still support WML and HDML

The conversion of HDML to WML code is not difficult, and Openwave is currently working to replace HDML with WML

Handheld Devices Markup Languages ( HDML ) (cont..)

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Compact HTML (cHTML ) and i-mode

NTT DoCoMo and its popular i-mode service employ Compact HTML (cHTML ) to format web pages

cHTML a subset of HTML that is designed for mobile devices, uses a limited set of HTML tags and attributes

With the exception of i-mode phones and devices, cHTML is not widely used

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Java is one of the most popular programming languages in the software development industry

Sun Microsystems created Java to facilitate the development of Intenet and Web-based applications that run consistently on any operating systems without requireing alteration

Sun coined the term,”write once,run anywhere” to describe this feature

Java and Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME)

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Over the past few years, Java has matured into the Java 2 paltform, which provides an even higher level of consistency among different systems

Java 2 has evolved intp three platforms:- Java 2 Standard Edition ( J2SETM ) enables developers to create standalone

programs and client-side applications - Java 2 Enterprise Edition ( J2EETM )

enables developers to create powerful enterprise systems for the management of entire businesses

Java and Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) (cont..)

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- Java 2 Micro Edition ( J2METM ) enables developers to create applications targeted to consumer devices

J2ME is the newest option for Java programming

This platform enables developers to write applications for such consumer devices as set-top boxes, web terminals and embedded systems

Much popular – ability to write applications for wireless devices

Java and Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) (cont..)

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J2ME also offers programmers tools to create user interfaces, connect to networks and save various programs information

Java and Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) (cont..)

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The market for wirelless devices, especially cell phones ,is exploding. Great demand exists for cell phones to support more functions ; however ,there are problems adapting applications on the devices varying runtime environments

Possible solution – manufactures should improve the hardware of mobile devices,enabling devices to support a larger number of applications

Binary Run-Time Environment for Wireless (BREW)

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However, the costs are extremely high

To solve this problem, Qualcomm has come out with BREW in May 2001

BREW – a layer of code that works with Qualcomm chips and other cell phone operating systems that allow cell phones to run application progrmas written using BREW development kits

Applications developed with the BREW standard development kit are platform-independent , allowing them to run devices with varying runtime environments

Binary Run-Time Environment for Wireless (BREW) (cont..)

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Also reduce costs and shorten development timetables of manufactures

In addition, enables software developers to create applications, including navigation assistance , instant messaging, e-mail, e-wallets, games and personal information management, taht are be accessible thriugh a variety of wireless devices

Binary Run-Time Environment for Wireless (BREW) (cont..)

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Bluetooth Wireless Technology Bluetooth is a computing and

telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) can easily interconnect with each other and with home and business phones and computers using a short-range wireless connection.

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Bluetooth Wireless Technology (cont..)

Using this technology, users of cellular phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants such as the PalmPilot will be able to buy a three-in-one phone that can double as a portable phone at home or in the office, get quickly synchronized with information in a desktop or notebook computer, initiate the sending or receiving of a fax and, in general, have all mobile and fixed computer devices be totally coordinated.

Source : searchNetworking.com

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Reference

Internet & WWW : How To Program ,Deitel & Deitel Nieto – page 735 - 777