Glossary

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Absolute

A URL or web/WAP address in which the entire address is written.

Address

The www or World Wide Web location of a web/WAP site. These are the names, which generally begin with www. and end in .com

alt

Alternative Text, displayed in place of an image during download and by none graphical browsers to decribe the image. This is a required attribute for all images.

Anchor

The position within a document code where a links begins or is said to anchor.

Angle brackets

The less than <, and greater than >, symbols which enclose all tags.

Attributes

Additional portions of code found within opening tags that modify the action of the tag. Attributes can be required and must be included or optional and may be omitted.

Bandwidth

The speed and amount of information or data transfer over a time period. WAP is low bandwidth and data transfer is slow.

Bookmark(ing)

Individual pages, decks or cards can be stored by your browser or within specialised bookmarking sites in easy to find places allowing speedy access to your bookmarked sites.

Browser

A computer program or application used to display information documents written in a markup language.

Button

Text link displayed at the bottom of the screen with an action activated by pressing an associated key on the keypad of the WAP device.

Byte(s)

A small measure of data. Important when designing WAP sites as the memory within WAP devices is small. Keep individual decks to less than 1200 bytes.

Card

Equivalent to a web page, one card is displayed on screen at any particular time.

Cell

Table data cell. An individual data box within a table. Cells can contain any combination of text image and links.

Character entry

Used in place of certain symbols within wml code to avoid confusing the browser.

Column

The vertical aspect of a table. The number of columns must be specified as an attribute within the table tag. Any number of columns can be specified, but the screen width must be accommodated.

Comments

Made within a special comment tag. Use comments within the wml code to describe portions of code and make things easier when reviews are necessary, or when more than one person updates code.

Contextual or Context Based

Refers to text formatting tags that imply a special meaning. Contextual tags tell the browser to treat the enclosed text in a different way from surrounding text.

Deck

The deck is the wml document and is the equivalent of a web site. Can contain any number of cards, each of which is displayed separately by the browser. The deck is the smallest amount of data sent to the browser and must be kept to less than 1200 bytes.

Default

Tags, browsers, WAP devices and many other objects often have a default value. Default is the normal or preset condition or value, unless something is done to change the value. A different value or condition must be specified if the default setting needs changing.

Directory

The disc space on the sever that contains wml and wbmp files.

Document

The wml code contained on the server that describes a WAP deck is the document.

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Document Type Definition

DTD. Found at the top of every wml document, and which describes the version and source of the rules that govern the format of the markup language used on this document.

DTD

Document Type Definition. Found at the top of every wml document, and which describes the version and source of the rules that govern the format of the markup language used on this document.

Emulator

A computer program which mimics how a WAP device works. These can be loaded onto a PC and allow the viewing of WAP sites without the cost of WAP calls.

eXtensible markup language

Describes a range of markup languages, the most common of which is HTML as used on the internet. wml is another form of markup language used in WAP.

Form(s)

A method of inputting data onto the WAP device, allowing feedback to the server, usernames and passwords etc. to be filled in.

Forward slash

/ Used in closing tags before the tag name to indicate it is a closing tag, and in single tags after the tag name as single tags must still be closed. Also used in URL addresses to separate directories and files.

FTP

Or File Transfer Protocol. This is the system used to transfer or upload files onto the internet as a way of publishing them. Many FTP programs are available for download (by FTP!) over the internet.

Greater than

> Closing angle bracket in a tag.

Hash

# Symbol used to define a number sometimes incorrectly called gate, square or pound. Used in wml to show a link to an individual card in a deck.

Head

Portion of a wml document after the DTD but before the opening wml tag and contains any meta information.

Host

The Company and server computer that stores a wml document.

href

Hypertext Reference. Used as an attribute in a link to signify where the link points.

html

Hypertext markup language, used to create documents for the fixed internet world wide web.

http://

Hypertext transfer protocol. The method used to link from one document to another across the world wide web. http:// is used at the front of the URL.

Hypertext Markup Language

html, used to create documents for the fixed internet world wide web.

Hypertext reference

href Used as an attribute in a link to signify where the link points.

Hypertext transfer protocol

http:// The method used to link from one document to another across the world wide web. http:// is used at the front of the URL.

id

All tags can be given a unique id attribute, the value of which is a string, but id is a required attribute in every card tag.

Index

The opening or main deck of a site. By default the browser displays the first card on the index deck when a site is accessed.

Information superhighway

What WAP is not.

Keyword

Used within the meta tag and is a list of comma separated words and phrases which search engines may use. Keywords should be relevant and descriptive of the site, and will help draw traffic to the site.

Less than

< Opening angle bracket of a tag.

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Line break

A single tag, inserted in wml code where a new line must start.

Link

A displayed section of text, or an image which when highlighted and accessed will cause the browser to locate and display the URL to which the link points.

Lowercase

Small none capital letters. wml and its attributes (not including unique string values) must be written in lowercase.

Markup language

Computer language such as wml which describes how a document should be written (or marked up).

Meta

Meta information is information about information. Meta tags are found in the head of a document and contain keywords used by search engines.

Mobile Internet

Internet content viewable by wireless mobile devices, of which WAP is one, but not the only, example.

Monochrome

Black and white images or displays. WBMP images are monochrome.

Name

First part of an attribute. All attributes take the form of a name and value pair, and are written name="value".

Nest(ing)

When a tag pair is contained within an outer tag pair. Care must be taken to ensure the last tag opened is the first tag closed.

Palmtop

A mini computer that fits in the palm of your hand, hence its name.

Paragraph

The basic building block of wml code is pargraph. All displayed content written in a wml document must nest within paragraph tags. All cards must contain at least one.

PDA

Personal Digital Assistant. Smaller than a Palmtop computer, but larger than a mobile cell phone, but generally without the ability to make phone calls.

Physical

Refers to text formatting tags that imply no special meaning but alter the physical appearance of text.

Quote enclosed

Enclosed within "quotation marks". Attribute values must be quote enclosed.

Relative

A partial URL which contains just the last part of the address or even just the card name. Can refer to a link or the source of an image.

Resolution

Number of pixels per unit area on a display. High resolution has a large number of pixels per unit, and contains a lot of detail. WAP is low resolution, and images cannot contain much detail.

Row

The horizontal aspect of a table. Any number of rows can be added to a table, but all rows in a table must contain an equal number of cells and therefore columns, as specified in the opening table tag.

Server

The host computer that stores a wml document.

Source

URL and name of an image. Can be relative, stored on the same file, or absolute and stored on another server on the world wide web.

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String

A unique and unbroken series of letters, numbers and certain characters. Strings are case sensitive. Uppercase capital A is different from lowercase small a. If a gap is needed within a string the convention is to use an underscore_.

Table

A collection of data cells containing text and/or images arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns.

Tags

Formatting commands which describe to the browser how pages are displayed, and consist of a descriptive command contained within angle brackets. Sometimes found singly but usually as a pair of opening and closing tags.

Template

A section of code placed before the first card in a deck containing buttons used on all cards in the deck, for example a 'back' button.

Text editor

Used to write wml code. The most basic of editors usually work better than more complicated word processors. Also try dedicated wml editors.

Underscore

An uderscore _ charicter is used in an unbroken string where a break is required but a space is not permitted. Examples can often be found in attribute names. eg card="card_one".

Uniform resource locator

Or URL. The address of the site, card, image etc. This is the familiar www name.

Uppercase

Large capital letters. wml code must be written in lowercase or you will receive an error message.

URL

Or Uniform Resource Locator. The address of the site, card, image etc. This is the familiar www name.

Value

The second part of an attribute. Values are "quote enclosed" and can be either a unique string or one of several specific options.

WAP

Wireless Application Protocol. Wireless, as data is transferred by radio waves, an Application is a computer program, and a Protocol is a formally agreed convention to which all parties adhere.

Wapdrive

A free WAP host.

wbmp

Wireless Bitmap. The monochrome image format used in WAP.

Web site

A collection of html documents viewed by a browser on the fixed internet.

Well formed

All markup languages conforming to xml standards must be well formed. This means mistakes will not be accomodated and for example all opening tags must be closed or error messages will result.

Wireless application protocol

Or WAP. Wireless, as data is transferred by radio waves, an Application is a computer program, and a Protocol is a formally agreed convention to which all parties adhere.

Wireless markup language

Or wml. One of a range of markup languages, wml is similar to html but confoms to the xml standard and optimised for small poratable devices. Called wireless as the data is transferred by radio to the device.

World Wide Web

Or www. WAP sites are located on the same or similar severs as fixed internet html sites.

wml

Or Wireless Markup Language. One of a range of markup languages, wml is similar to html but confoms to the xml standard and optimised for small poratable devices. Called wireless as the data is transferred by radio to the device.

.wml

This is the file extention of WAP documents. mywappage.wml is an example. All WAP documents must have this file extention or the browser will not display the file.

www

Or world wide web. WAP sites are located on the same or similar severs as fixed internet html sites.

xml

eXtensible Markup Language. Describes the basis of many markup languages, each with its own Document Type Definition such as wml.

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