AXMLPrinter2 - Convert Android binary XML to human-readable XML

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I've been poking around HTC's key.apk and HTC_CIME.apk in the hopes of somehow finding a way to activate the XT9 functionality (aka "Compact qwerty" and "20-key"). Still working on that. In the process, I found a neat little java app called AXMLPrinter2 which as the title suggests, converts Android's binary XML files back to human-readable XML. Take a look:

c:\and_test\java -jar AXMLPrinter2.jar p1220_symbol_sip.xml > p1220_symbol_sip.txt

Originally Posted by Contents of p1220_symbol_sip.txt

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<keyboard
width="53.0px"
hgap="0.0px"
vgap="0.0px"
height="55.0px"
keyTextSize="24.0px"
popupTextSize="32.0px"
accentPage="4"
keyboardBackground="@7F020074"
keyboardPadding="0,2,0,4"
functionKeyBackground="@7F020032"
commonKeyBackground="@7F020031"
pageKeyBackground="@7F02008A"
>
<row
>
<key
codes="0x0028,0x0040,0x005E,-14"
label="("
hgap="1.0px"
leftEdge="true"
popupCharacters="@7F08006B"
popupDelay="0"
accentType="3"
alignIndex="0"
>
</key>

...

Edit: there's supposed to be tabbing but xda forum code stripped em.

Well,

Now I can read the .xml but how can I edit it. I have the hex editor but the strings seem different.

Originally Posted by beagz

Well,

Now I can read the .xml but how can I edit it. I have the hex editor but the strings seem different.

Hex editors are for modifying BINARY files, not plain text xml files. Use notepad, or something. But you'll need to rebuild the xml files after modifying for them to be of any use.

No I meant I can find the corresponding code in notepad using the .txt output and then I can change it in the hex editor. But I am trying to figure out what values to change.
.txt
text color="@7F050000"
.xml (hex)
00 00 05 7F

I can find the value but what part should be changed? in hex I know from stericson that values = BGR but which 6 of 8 should be changed?

OK, I found the problem. The ones that control color all have #FFFFFFFF as the format not @FFFFFFFF
thanks.

Originally Posted by beagz

No I meant I can find the corresponding code in notepad using the .txt output and then I can change it in the hex editor. But I am trying to figure out what values to change.
.txt
text color="@7F050000"
.xml (hex)
00 00 05 7F

I can find the value but what part should be changed? in hex I know from stericson that values = BGR but which 6 of 8 should be changed?

Looks like its just different endianness.

This app isn't particularly useful if you just want to alter color values in a hex editor. It's more for a situation where you want to completely alter ui elements in an app without source code.

So then is there a way to convert back to binary?

anyone ever find a way to convert them back?

wow .. wrong thread lol

Originally Posted by xile6

anyone ever find a way to convert them back?

good question. anyone?

Originally Posted by temporizer

good question. anyone?

yea i answered this in another thread .. lemme go look for my answer

EDIT: they talk about it here