Practical WAP: Developing Applications for the Wireless Web

We use this book as we start in the mobile bussiness. We are an aggregator/integrator for telcos and we build WAP sites. This book was very useful at the begining, i strongly recomend this to anyone who plans to enter on the mobile wap developing.

This book is so useful, especially when dealing with non-smart phones. I noticed that after reading half of the book and thinking that it was mostly obsolete, and then subscribing to a cell provider with a free phone and 2-year contract, that the book is absolutely correct in everything it says about WAP and small phones. It has plenty of code examples, caveats about building secured applications, and what not to do, such as use Javascript, which is indeed very spotty in its coverage with cell phones. All of these things go without saying, unless, like me, you've never had any experience with WAP and wonder what all of the hubub is about. The style is not overly technical, but still serious enough to take seriously. It is designed for web designers who need to know, in a short time period, the basics of programming for cell phones. Definitly an introductory book worth having, it will propel you to a stronger knowledge of WAP and XHTML for Devices, as well as introduce you to more advanced topics such as scripting for cell phones. Caveat: It was originally published in 2002, so there are some out of date statistics. However, these may still be gleaned off the net, such as the percentage of smart phones in use, etc.

Practical WAP lives up to its title. The author writes in a lively style that makes it easy to understand the many aspects of WAP. Before dipping into the technical aspects of the different WAP standards, the book sets the stage with an Applications chapter that address what makes a good WAP applciation and a Tools chapter that gives the reader numerous pointers to how to begin developing for WAP. At the core of the book is a practical discussion of how to use WML (the Wireless Markup Language)and WMLScript. There is a very useful step by step tutorial that takes you through the construction of a working WAP application. The last section of the book provides useful information on design and architectural issues that impact WAP deployment. There is an important section on interfaces as well as a discussion of how WAP can be integrated with Java Enterprise servers. I expect that as wireless becomes more and more a part of the total enterprise picture, the integration of WAP with server tools will become even more important. Overall, this well-written book is a must for anyone looking to work in the area of WAP development.

In my 5 years of information technology experience, both in the private sector and within academia, I have not read a better contextualized presentation of technical material than this book. Chapters 1 through 4 provide an excellent overview of important topics and set the context for the more technical information to follow. The WML language chapters (5,6) and the WMLScript chapter are perhaps the best synthesized language reference chapters I have read in a book not singularly devoted to the teaching of a particular programming language. The practical nature of the book is a refreshing approach to technical writing. The sections on design, architectural and testing considerations are straightforward and usable by both a detailed-oriented audience (e.g. those who implement) and to a higher-level audience (e.g. solution specialists and those who manage). Additionally, the application development case study suits is very clear and well organized and builds very well upon the chapters that preceded it. I highly recommend this book for those who are either implementing WAP-enabled services or who wish to upgrade their knowledge on the WAP front.