WML Question

[dominique]

Does anyone know how to integrate a "Fact of the Day" script into a WML page? I want to keep the content somewhat dynamic but I don't know how to display a different message everyday.

[temis]

dominique,

I am not quite sure how to do that, but try looking on (around) www.wap.com

They have goog resources and tutorials, I am learning this myself right now

HTH

[Michel V]

I'm afraid you'll have to use PHP or ASP. Maybe WMLscript, but there are not a lot of websites that document about that scripting language...

[TWTCommish]

I cannot say for sure, but I don't think WMLScript would do the trick - it'd be a pain, for sure. WMLScript can be thought of as JavaScript's wireless counterpart.

Shin Ma, however, is correct: you'll need to use some sort of server-side language, and have it spit out WML code - it's not too tough.

The only trick to it is to use something like, perhaps, .htaccess to have your server parse .wml files as .php/.asp (depending on what you use). This allows the PHP/ASP code inside to be parsed, but still allows wireless devices to use it with it's .wml extension.

For PHP, there is a command you'll need to enter to send to the HTTP header though, I believe. If you need that line, let me know.

It's not too tricky overall: anything you can spit out with PHP/ASP, you can post on a WML page with a little work. You can essentially have a database-driven site in either language, and make the same articles/tutorials/reviews/etc available to wireless users, pulled right out of the database.

[dominique]

Thanks guys. I don't know any PHP, is it similarly easy to implement a PHP script as it is to implement a Perl script?

Right know I'm hoping that I can just do some minor alterations to some existing script available for free. I found the special code to place at the top of the script on www.wap.com.

[TWTCommish]

It shouldn't be too difficult, assuming you can get Perl code to parse in a .wml file (there might be a different way, I just don't know of any right now). Perl and PHP are very similar.

[Michel V]

You can also make a whole ASP page with WML tags instead of HTML tags, and declare the MIME-type WML in the ASP headers.
If you plan on making this your front page, either work this out in .htaccess or set a little redirection page (you'd prefer .htaccess, but some hosts won't allow you to modify this file).

[lynlimz]

Hmm..
If you know PERl, you know 50% php.
its so similar.
if i'm ocrrect, php has built insupport for wml? if so, you cna take this query to the PHP forum and get the experts there.

i have a current php script which randomly display certain text form a file.

i also have a javascript corresponding file.

do you want them?

[TWTCommish]

lynlimz: That would depend on what you mean by "built-in support" - PHP can spit out WML code without much of a problem - you just need to have your server parse .wml pages for PHP code, and add a line of code to specify in the Document Headers that the file is indeed a WML file.

So, basically, I'd say PHP supports flexibility with the headers, and will let you configure your server to parse other file extensions as PHP files - which allows you to do many things, one of which is created a WML page dynamically.

[dominique]

Originally posted by lynlimz
i have a current php script which randomly display certain text form a file.

i also have a javascript corresponding file.

do you want them?

I'd love the php script if that's possible. I was looking at some scripts on www.hotscripts.com but I don't know if they can be customized for WML.

As for the javascript file, I was under the impression Wap phones don't support javascript. Am I wrong?

[TWTCommish]

No, you are correct, I'm 99% sure WAP phones do not support JavaScript - to achieve JavaScript-esque effects, you'd have to use WMLScript. It is to WML what JavaScript is to HTML.