Content Adaptation
Encyclopedia
Content adaptation is the action of transforming content
to adapt to device capabilities. Content adaptation is usually related to mobile devices that require special handling because of their limited computational power, small screen size and constrained keyboard functionality.
Content adaptation could roughly be divided to two fields:
s (cell phones) and Personal Digital Assistant
s has led to an explosion in the number of types of device that can now access the Web
. Some commentators refer to the Web that can be accessed from mobile devices as the Mobile Web
.
The sheer number and variety of Web-enabled devices poses significant challenges for authors of Web sites who want to support access from mobile devices. The W3C Device Independence Working Group described many of the issues in its report Authoring Challenges for Device Independence.
Content adaptation is one approach to a solution. Rather than requiring authors to create pages explicitly for each type of device that might request them, content adaptation transforms an author's materials automatically.
For example, content might be converted from a device-independent markup language, such as XDIME
, an implementation of the W3C's DIAL specification, into a form suitable for the device, such as XHTML Basic
, C-HTML
or WML
. Similarly a suitable device-specific CSS
style sheet or a set of in-line styles might be generated from abstract style definitions. Likewise a device specific layout might be generated from abstract layout definitions.
Once created, the device-specific materials form the response returned to the device from which the request was made.
Another way is use the latest trend responsive design based on css
that is covered in this article (RWD
)
Content adaptation requires a processor that performs the selection, modification and generation of materials to form the device-specific result. IBM's
Websphere Everyplace Mobile Portal (WEMP), BEA Systems
' WebLogic Mobility Server, Morfeo's
MyMobileWeb
and Apache Cocoon
are examples of such processors.
Wurfl
and WALL are popular
Open Source
tools for content adaptation. WURFL is an XML-based Device Description Repository with APIs to access the data in Java and PHP
(and other popular programming languages). WALL (Wireless Abstraction Library)
lets a developer author mobile pages that look like plain HTML, but converts them to WML, C-HTML and XHTML Mobile Profile
depending on the capabilities of the device from which the HTTP request originates.
Alembik (Media Transcoding Server) is a Java (J2EE) application providing transcoding services for variety of clients and for different media types (image, audio, video, etc.). It is fully compliant with OMA
's Standard Transcoder Interface specification and is distributed under the LGPL open source license.
In 2007, the first large scale carrier-grade deployments of content transformation, on existing mass-market handsets with no software download required, were deployed by Vodafone
in the UK and globally for Yahoo!
oneSearch using the Novarra Vision solution. Novarra's content adaptation solution had been used in enterprise intranet deployments as early as 2003 (at that time the platform was named “Engines for Wireless Data”).
InfoGin, the 9-year old content-adaptation company with customers like Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica and PCCW. The patented "Web to Mobile adaptation", Mobile Matrix Transcoder, Multimedia and Documents transcoders, Video adaptation supporte.
Launched in 2007, Bytemobile's Web Fidelity Service was another carrier-grade, commercial infrastructure solution to provide wireless
content adaptation to mobile
subscribers on their existing mass-market handsets, with no client download required.
Content (media and publishing)
In media production and publishing, content is information and experiences that may provide value for an end-user/audience in specific contexts. Content may be delivered via any medium such as the internet, television, and audio CDs, as well as live events such as conferences and stage performances...
to adapt to device capabilities. Content adaptation is usually related to mobile devices that require special handling because of their limited computational power, small screen size and constrained keyboard functionality.
Content adaptation could roughly be divided to two fields:
- Media content adaptation that adapts media files
- Browsing content adaptation that adapts Web site to mobile devices.
Browsing content adaptation
Advances in the capabilities of small, mobile devices such as mobile phoneMobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s (cell phones) and Personal Digital Assistant
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
s has led to an explosion in the number of types of device that can now access the Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
. Some commentators refer to the Web that can be accessed from mobile devices as the Mobile Web
Mobile Web
The Mobile Web refers to the use of Internet-connected applications, or browser-based access to the Internet from a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet computer, connected to a wireless network....
.
The sheer number and variety of Web-enabled devices poses significant challenges for authors of Web sites who want to support access from mobile devices. The W3C Device Independence Working Group described many of the issues in its report Authoring Challenges for Device Independence.
Content adaptation is one approach to a solution. Rather than requiring authors to create pages explicitly for each type of device that might request them, content adaptation transforms an author's materials automatically.
For example, content might be converted from a device-independent markup language, such as XDIME
Xdime
XDIME is an xHTML Device Independent Markup Extensions. The acronym originally stood for XHTML with Device Independent Markup Extensions. It is a device independent authoring language. It allows content to be created once but delivered to the myriad traditional and mobile devices that can connect...
, an implementation of the W3C's DIAL specification, into a form suitable for the device, such as XHTML Basic
XHTML Basic
XHTML Basic is an XML-based structured markup language primarily used for simple user agents, typically mobile devices.XHTML Basic is a subset of XHTML 1.1, defined using XHTML Modularization including a reduced set of modules for document structure, images, forms, basic tables, and object support...
, C-HTML
C-HTML
C-HTML , also called i-mode-HTML, is a subset of HTML for small information devices, such as first generation smart phones and PDAs, such as DoCoMo's i-mode mobile phones used in Japan...
or WML
Wireless Markup Language
Wireless Markup Language , based on XML, is a markup language intended for devices that implement the Wireless Application Protocol specification, such as mobile phones. It provides navigational support, data input, hyperlinks, text and image presentation, and forms, much like HTML...
. Similarly a suitable device-specific CSS
Cascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used to describe the presentation semantics of a document written in a markup language...
style sheet or a set of in-line styles might be generated from abstract style definitions. Likewise a device specific layout might be generated from abstract layout definitions.
Once created, the device-specific materials form the response returned to the device from which the request was made.
Another way is use the latest trend responsive design based on css
CSS
-Computing:*Cascading Style Sheets, a language used to describe the style of document presentations in web development*Central Structure Store in the PHIGS 3D API*Closed source software, software that is not distributed with source code...
that is covered in this article (RWD
RWD
RWD may refer to:* Rear-wheel drive, method of propulsion in an automobile* RWD , Polish aircraft manufacturer* RWD Technologies, software vendor of electronic performance support systems* Rewind Magazine, British based music magazine...
)
Content adaptation requires a processor that performs the selection, modification and generation of materials to form the device-specific result. IBM's
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
Websphere Everyplace Mobile Portal (WEMP), BEA Systems
BEA Systems
BEA Systems, Inc. specialized in enterprise infrastructure software products known as "middleware", which connect software applications to databases and was acquired by Oracle Corporation on April 29, 2008.- History :...
' WebLogic Mobility Server, Morfeo's
Morfeo Open-Source Software Community
Morfeo Open-Source Software Community is focused on improving Technical Transferences between companies, and on generating social networks for collaboration among them, being also an encouragement for small-sized companies providing certain resources for carrying out this task.- Morfeo Project...
MyMobileWeb
MyMobileWeb
MyMobileWeb is an open source product that simplifies the development of adaptive mobile web applications and portals, providing an advanced content & application adaptation environment. It is based on open-standards, Java and Java EE technology.-Description:...
and Apache Cocoon
Apache Cocoon
Apache Cocoon, usually just called Cocoon, is a web application framework built around the concepts of pipeline, separation of concerns and component-based web development. The framework focuses on XML and XSLT publishing and is built using the Java programming language...
are examples of such processors.
Wurfl
Wurfl
WURFL stands for Wireless Universal Resource FiLe. It is a community effort focused on mobile device detection: the problem of presenting content on the wide variety of wireless devices. WURFL is a set of proprietary API's and an XML configuration file which contains information about device...
and WALL are popular
Open Source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
tools for content adaptation. WURFL is an XML-based Device Description Repository with APIs to access the data in Java and PHP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
(and other popular programming languages). WALL (Wireless Abstraction Library)
lets a developer author mobile pages that look like plain HTML, but converts them to WML, C-HTML and XHTML Mobile Profile
XHTML Mobile Profile
XHTML Mobile Profile is a hypertextual computer language standard designed specifically for mobile phones and other resource-constrained devices....
depending on the capabilities of the device from which the HTTP request originates.
Alembik (Media Transcoding Server) is a Java (J2EE) application providing transcoding services for variety of clients and for different media types (image, audio, video, etc.). It is fully compliant with OMA
Open Mobile Alliance
The Open Mobile Alliance is a standards body which develops open standards for the mobile phone industry.- Principles :Mission: To provide interoperable service enablers working across countries, operators and mobile terminals....
's Standard Transcoder Interface specification and is distributed under the LGPL open source license.
In 2007, the first large scale carrier-grade deployments of content transformation, on existing mass-market handsets with no software download required, were deployed by Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
in the UK and globally for Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
oneSearch using the Novarra Vision solution. Novarra's content adaptation solution had been used in enterprise intranet deployments as early as 2003 (at that time the platform was named “Engines for Wireless Data”).
InfoGin, the 9-year old content-adaptation company with customers like Vodafone, Orange, Telefonica and PCCW. The patented "Web to Mobile adaptation", Mobile Matrix Transcoder, Multimedia and Documents transcoders, Video adaptation supporte.
Launched in 2007, Bytemobile's Web Fidelity Service was another carrier-grade, commercial infrastructure solution to provide wireless
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
content adaptation to mobile
Mobile computing
Mobile computing is a form of human–computer interaction by which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage. Mobile computing has three aspects: mobile communication, mobile hardware, and mobile software...
subscribers on their existing mass-market handsets, with no client download required.
See also
- Progressive enhancementProgressive enhancementProgressive enhancement is a strategy for web design that emphasizes accessibility, semantic HTML markup, and external stylesheet and scripting technologies...
is layer technologies starting to most available to allows everyone to access the basic. - Adaptation (computer science)Adaptation (Computer Science)The term “adaptation” in computer science refers to a process, in which an interactive system adapts its behaviour to individual users based on information acquired about its user and its environment.-The need for adaptation:...
- jQuery MobileJQuery MobilejQuery Mobile is a touch-optimized web framework currently being developed by the jQuery project team. The development focuses on creating a framework compatible with a wide variety of smartphones and tablets, made necessary by the growing-but-heterogenous tablet and smartphone market...
- Responsive architectureResponsive architectureResponsive architecture is an evolving field of architectural practice and research. Responsive architectures are those that measure actual environmental conditions to enable buildings to adapt their form, shape, color or character responsively .Responsive architectures aim to refine and extend...