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How WAP works
Dedicated to linking the Internet to wireless phones, PDAs, and
pagers, the wireless application protocol (WAP) is a standard for
displaying information on tiny screens over cell connections.
WAP uses the Wireless Markup Language (WML)—similar to HTML—which
doesn't require the device to have a keyboard or mouse.
Transmission: The request is received by a WAP gateway,
which translates it into HTML and relays it to the Internet server.
Response: That server sends the info to the WAP gateway,
which extracts the data, encodes it in WML, and sends it to the
device. The unit then decodes and displays the reply.
Information Display: When you retrieve information from
the Net, WAP doesn't send you the entire message. Instead, the device
sends a card (a packet of streaming data) that includes encoded
requests for specific information, such as a stock quote or an address
map.
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