WAP

4/28/2001

WAP: Wireless Applications Protocol. WAP is a specialized set of Internet protocols designed to support low bandwidth, low power devices. WAP uses a WAP MetaLanguage (WML) to specify "cards" in a WML "deck". WML is a subset of HTML designed for easy compression and decompression of data by limited capability processors over low bandwidth wireless connections. WAP "decks" are a subset of HTML and can be displayed on ordinary web browsers. The converse is not true. Most Web sites will not display on mobile equipment designed to support only WAP.

Because of the low bandwidths, WAP is currently limited to text and very simple monochrome graphics. In fact, not all devices will support even bold and italic fonts. As with HTML, WAP devices will attempt to do the best they can with display elements that they don't support or can't understand.

Return To Index Copyright 1994-2008 by Donald Kenney.