Android XML extracted from APK - poor coding

Question

Using DDMS, I removed the APK from my phone and unzipped it.

PNGs look great, but when I try to read XML files, their encoding is such that none of my text editors can read it (Word, Notepad, Visual Studio, etc.)

Is something done for the XML in the APK that prevents us from reading them?

Answer 1

You can decode them using the Java program - AXMLPrinter2.jar.

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=514412

http://code.google.com/p/android4me/downloads/detail?name=AXMLPrinter2.jar&can=2&q=

I am sure that there are better details, but this should lead you to the right path.

Answer 2

android-apktool, .

Answer 3

XML files are stored in compiled format. From android docs :

When compiling the application, each XML layout file is compiled into Resource View.

I do not know the decompiler, perhaps this is possible.

Answer 4

You can see some implementation through the aapt tool.

Go to the platform tools in the sdk folder.

copy and paste apk to this folder.

Run the command: " aapt l -a apk_name.apk"

Where "apk_name.apk" is your apk name.