Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0 vs Global Authoring Practices for the Mobile Web
Abstract
If you are you interesting in Mobile Web, probably you know that there are many documents with recomendations for mobile webs developers. One of the best known is the Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0 published by the W3C (and Recommendation since 29 July 2008).
In response to the early drafts of MWBP, Luca Passani published Global Authoring Practices for the Mobile Web.
In this document, you can compare summaries of both mobile web practices. Please, read both full Mobile Web Practices (Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0 and Global Authoring Practices for the Mobile Web) for more and complete information.
Notes
- To avoid links with same value and diferent location, the links to the original Mobile Web Best Practices, begin with the prefix "MWBP-". The links to the origin Global Authoring Practices begin with the prefix "GAP-".
- I agrupped, and ordered the practices. I know it isn't the best, but... I believe that it isn't the worst. :)
- Suggestions, corrections, criticisms, are wellcomed. Contact with "the author" (¿or mixer?) of this document (¿or cocktail?). Y si lo haces en castellano, mucho mejor: Soy Gonzalo.
Disclaimer and copyright
The tables contains quotes - the q
XHTML element - of MWBP 1.0 and GAP Mobile Web Practices. These documents are copyrighted. Below you can see the owners of the sources documents and the W3C's license:
Mobile Web Practices (MWBP 1.0 vs GAP): Table of contents
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: Assumption on devices
Mobile Web Practices: Assumption on devices |
Features |
W3C's MWBP |
Passani's GAP |
Term |
Default Delivery Context |
Baseline |
Screen |
120 pixels, minimum |
120x120 pixel screen or larger |
Markup |
XHTML Basic 1.1 delivered with content type application/xhtml+xml . |
Support for XHTML Mobile Profile 1.0
Use the application/vnd.wap.xhtml+xml MIME Type 1
|
Charset |
UTF-8 |
|
Images |
JPEG. GIF 89a. |
Support for GIF and JPEG image formats |
Maximum size content |
20 kilobytes |
Device can manage at least 10 Kb of combined mark-up, graphics and CSS content |
Colors |
256 Colors, minimum. |
Color device with support for a minimum of 256 colors |
Style |
CSS Level 1. In addition, CSS Level 2 @media rule together with the handheld and all media types |
|
HTTP |
HTTP/1.0 or more recent |
|
Script |
No support for client side scripting |
|
Tables |
|
Two columns tables are supported. no 'rowspan ' and 'colspan ' support required |
Picture and Link on the same Line |
|
Device can display a picture and a link on the same line |
Minimal Bandwidth |
|
Device and network support at least 9.6 Kbps bandwith |
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: The mobile device
Mobile Web Practices: The mobile device |
W3C's MWBP |
Passani's GAP |
[MWBP-MINIMIZE_KEYSTROKES] Keep the number of keystrokes to a minimum |
[GAP-MINIMIZE] Minimize the number of clicks required to carry out activities |
|
[GAP-NO_WEB] Do not try to port all functions of a website to mobile |
[MWBP-SUITABLE] Ensure that content is suitable for use in a mobile context |
|
|
[GAP-DIFFERENT_MEDIA] Do not serve a website to a mobile device and do not serve a mobile site to a web browser |
|
[GAP-STILL_A_PHONE] Enable one-click calls for phone numers |
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: User experience
Mobile Web Practices: User experience |
W3C's MWBP |
Passani's GAP |
[MWBP-URIS] Keep the URIs of site entry points short |
[GAP-USE_SHORT_URL] Adopt a short URL for site entry point(s) |
[MWBP-CAPABILITIES] Exploit device capabilities to provide an enhanced user experience |
|
|
[GAP-TESTING] Find real, non-techie users and make them perform functions. Observe what problems they have |
[MWBP-TESTING] Carry out testing on actual devices as well as emulators |
[GAP-MULTITEST] Test an application on at least 5 different microbrowsers |
[MWBP-POP_UPS] Do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not change the current window without informing the user |
|
[MWBP-AUTO_REFRESH] Do not create periodically auto-refreshing pages, unless you have informed the user and provided a means of stopping it |
|
[MWBP-LIMITED] Limit content to what the user has requested |
|
[MWBP-PAGE_SIZE_USABLE] Divide pages into usable but limited size portions |
|
[MWBP-ERROR_MESSAGES] Provide informative error messages and a means of navigating away from an error message back to useful information |
|
[MWBP-SCROLLING] Limit scrolling to one direction, unless secondary scrolling cannot be avoided |
|
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: Content
Mobile Web Practices: Content |
W3C's MWBP |
Passani's GAP |
[MWBP-PAGE_TITLE] Provide a short but descriptive page title |
[GAP-ADD_TITLE] Provide a short but descriptive page title |
|
[GAP-NO_SPLASH_SCREEN] Avoid first pages made to be skipped |
[MWBP-THEMATIC_CONSISTENCY] Ensure that content provided by accessing a URI yields a thematically coherent experience when accessed from different devices |
|
[MWBP-CLARITY] Use clear and simple language |
[GAP-CONCISE] Use clear, short and concise terms and sentences |
[MWBP-CENTRAL_MEANING] Ensure that material that is central to the meaning of the page precedes material that is not |
|
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: Links and navigation
Mobile Web Practices: Links and navigation |
W3C's MWBP |
Passani's GAP |
[MWBP-NAVBAR] Provide only minimal navigation at the top of the page |
[GAP-SPECIFIC] Place the most specific menu items in the top positions of menus |
|
[GAP-NO_TOP_BAR] Avoid navigation bars at the top of the page |
[MWBP-BALANCE] Take into account the trade-off between having too many links on a page and asking the user to follow too many links to reach what they are looking for |
|
|
[GAP-MAX_10_LINKS] Only exceed 10 links per page if the application demands it |
[MWBP-NAVIGATION] Provide consistent navigation mechanisms |
[GAP-NAVIGATION] Provide consistently used links to navigate inside the application |
[MWBP-ACCESS_KEYS] Assign access keys to links in navigational menus and frequently accessed functionality |
[GAP-ACCESS_KEYS] Use the 'accesskey' attribute to implementkeyboard accelerators on menus |
|
[GAP-NO_REDUNDANCY] Avoid repeating links such as 'Help','About','FAQ' in every page |
[MWBP-LINK_TARGET_ID] Clearly identify the target of each link |
|
[MWBP-LINK_TARGET_FORMAT] Note the target file's format unless you know the device supports it |
|
[MWBP-TAB_ORDER] Create a logical order through links, form controls and objects |
|
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: Tables
Go to table of contents.
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: Images and other external resources
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: Style
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: Markup
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: Server, encoding
Go to table of contents.
MWBP 1.0 vs GAP: Other recomendations
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Footnotes
Metadata
- Title
- Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0 vs Global Authoring Practices for the Mobile Web
- Abstract
- This document compare the recomendations for mobile webs developers "Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0" and "Global Authoring Practices for the Mobile Web"
- Subject
- Mobile Web Practices, Mobile Web, Mobile Web Best Practices, MBWP, W3C, MWI, Global Authoring Practices for the Mobile Web, GAP, Luca Passani
- Created
- 2008-08-04
- Last Modified
- 2009-07-23
- Avaliable
- 2008-08-05
- References
- Global Authoring Practices for the Mobile Web
- Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0
- Contributor
- Missha