Development and testing

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What were the options?

For development & testing, there were these options:-

• Download a phone emulator and write it on that
• Buy a Wap phone, and test the application as it’s written

Which was picked?

Option 1: Download a phone emulator and write it on that

Many phone manufacturers make Wap developer kits. These are application programs that simulate Wap phones well enough for you to see what your application will look like.

• Pros: Cheap (they’re invariably free, and costs nothing to use as many times as required)
• Cons: Time consuming to download and install and a bit of a diversion: ultimately the system has to be tested on a real phone, so why not just do that from the start? Also, there are discrepancies between the simulated phone and the actual phone (particularly when it comes to text formatting). See appendix 9 for more details.

Option 2: Buy a Wap phone and test the application as it’s written

• Pros: Real testing in a live environment. Unimprovable.
• Cons: Expensive. You have to buy a Wap phone, pay the upgrade fee, and pay for each call you make. Also, what happens if the phone breaks down? That was of course unlikely to happen…;-)

Conclusion

After looking at the alternatives, the WAP enabled Nokia 6210 mobile phone costing approximately 80 pounds was purchased. Such a new and advanced phone would obviously not break down between then and the end of the thesis. Silly to even consider such a possibility. This was to have repercussions...