Several design issues had to be considered to map full HTML pages to WML. For instance, most devices are limited to only about 12 characters across and 5 characters down each screen. To compensate, many mnemonics are shortened, long pages are broken into multiple pages, and navigation links are positioned atop and occasionally throughout long pages. To counter the color and font non-capability we provide separate pages for a reference to each colored mnemonic (see section 2.1.). Most devices also attempt to efficiently cache and redisplay previously called pages. To prevent this action, an always-expired header is added so that the most current data are displayed on each invocation during real-time contacts. Finally, the wide variety of device types and manufacturers make on-line emulators1invaluable for testing as well as for saving air time charges.
Some of our short and long term visions include the following:
While relatively quick and easy to implement and maintain, the wireless web has proven to be a valuable resource for Chandra Operations and will continue to evolve and expand.