We visit several web pages every day while surfing through the internet. These web pages are the execution of millions of lines of code written either in WML or HTML. HTML is a more popular language that was created in the early 1990s for displaying web pages on PCs. WML focussed on wireless devices like mobile phones.
WML vs HTML
The main difference between WML and HTML is that WML is considered as a now-obsolete markup language for wireless devices like mobiles. On the other hand, HTML is the most common computer language that developers use today to design a web display. It was mainly created for displaying and navigating websites in PCS.
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) is an extensively used computer language for creating web pages. It is not a programming language as it cannot perform any dynamic functions. HTML along with CSS (cascading style sheet) is used to design a web page. It is responsible for all the navigation like linking other web pages, drop-down menus, displaying images, etc.
Wireless Markup Language (WML) is known as an XML document type that is especially used for developing websites opened and navigated in mobile phones. WML was launched in the market a few years after HTML and this language is based on HTML and HDML. In WML, the displayed pictures are in a monochrome format, unlike HTML.
Comparison Table Between WML and HTML
| Parameters of Comparison | WML | HTML |
| Definition | WML stands for Wireless Markup Language which is currently considered as a now-obsolete markup language for wireless devices like mobiles. | HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language which is a standard markup language used for creating web pages. |
| Creator | The WAP Forum (OMA SpecWorks currently) created WML 1.1 in 1998. | Tim Berners-Lee, a computer scientist and a professor at MIT, created the first version of HTML in 1993. |
| Devices | WML was created for wireless devices like mobile phones and PDAs. | HTML is mainly used in desktop computers but it can be customized for mobile devices as well. |
| Processing Power | In WML, displaying documents requires less processing power. | In HTML, displaying documents requires more processing power. |
| Image Format | In WML, the images are stored in WBMP (Wireless Application Protocol Bitmap Format) format. | In HTML there are multiple options to store images including JPEG, GIF, and PNG. |
| Transmission | WML requires less bandwidth for the transmission of its documents. | HTML requires more bandwidth for the transmission of its documents. |
| Advantages | WML supports limited graphics with a limited gray scale. | HTML can integrate with other languages. |
What is WML?
WML is a markup language that is used for developing websites displayed on wireless devices like mobile phones. While developing a WML there are a few constraints that need to be kept in mind like small screens for display, limited memory, less bandwidth, etc. In a web page designed using WML, the images are stored in WBMP format and are monochromatic.
WML has features like proving passwords, inserting the option for selecting different options, text entry control, etc. The users also have the liberty to choose if they want to type or use voice. It also shows browsing history and navigation through hyperlinks.
WML is case sensitive and it also makes use of tags but comparatively lesser than HTML. WML scripts are stored in different files and a set of WML cards is referred to as a Deck. In WML, closing tags (use of /) are very important.
What is HTML?
HTML is a markup language that is used for developing websites displayed on PCs. While developing a website using HTML, there are no such constraints that in the case of WML. HTML along with CSS developed a very flexible web page that has features like using elements, links, tags, and attributes.
Unlike HTML, the image or any other form of media displayed on a web page is colorful. They can be also stored in various formats like JPG, PNG, or GIF. HTML is used extensively to add hyperlinks the web pages. The closing tags are always not necessary in HTML.
There are three main elements of HTML. They are opening tag, content, and closing tag. And, each page uses three main tags, namely, <html>, <head>, and <body>. HTML is a beginner friendly markup language and since it is open-source it is accessible to everyone.
Main Differences Between WML and HTML
- WML stands for Wireless Markup Language which is currently considered as a now-obsolete markup language for wireless devices like mobiles. On the other hand, HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language which is a standard markup language used for creating web pages.
- The WAP Forum (OMA SpecWorks currently) created WML 1.1 in 1998 while Tim Berners-Lee, a computer scientist and a professor at MIT, created the first version of HTML in 1993.
- WML was created for wireless devices like mobile phones and PDAs whereas HTML is mainly used in desktop computers but can be customized for mobile devices as well.
- In WML, displaying documents requires less processing power whereas HTML documents require more processing power while displaying.
- In WML, the images are stored in WBMP (Wireless Application Protocol Bitmap Format) format. But, in HTML there are multiple options to store images including JPEG, GIF, and PNG.
- WML requires less bandwidth for the transmission of its documents as compared to HTML.
- One of the advantages of WML is it supports limited graphics with a limited gray scale. But, HTML is superior to WML in the sense it can integrate with other languages.
Conclusion
HTML is a widely used language for developing web pages that are suitable for displaying in PCS. But, they can be customized so that mobile users can also display web pages written in HTML. But, in case of WML that is known as a no-obsolete language can be used only to develop mobile web pages.
But, learning both the languages are easy as they are beginner friendly. If one knows any of the above language, it becomes very easy to learn the other one.
