[GUIDE] Locating hidden values, random dialogs and hardcodes (AOSP/TW/Sense/XH)

[cerj]

@nicholaschum The monitor tool didn't help me to understand how to invert the text of the Play Store settings.
Thanks in advance.

resource-id: android:id/title
class: android.widget.TextView
package: com.android.vending

Look in values /styles-v21 SettingsTheme

Sent from my SGP621 using Tapatalk

---------- Post added at 08:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:01 AM ----------

The monitor tool doesn't fine everything, it only is a resource to help you find things as a last resort.

Have you tried modifying SettingsTheme style?

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk VIP.

Stumbled across this thread and once again your helping the community with a great tut. It's members like you that make XDA a great place to learn. Thank you NC

Sent from my SGP621 using Tapatalk

 

[vishal11in]

Just a quick question:
I am trying to find a resource using above method in FileManager apk
Resource id shown: android:id/action_bar_title
Package name shown : com.lge.filemanager
When i try to find the string "action_bar_title" it shows me 0 result.
Since android id/ is involved so i should be searching here or framework file.

 

[nicholaschum]

Just a quick question:
I am trying to find a resource using above method in FileManager apk
Resource id shown: android:id/action_bar_title
Package name shown : com.lge.filemanager
When i try to find the string "action_bar_title" it shows me 0 result.
Since android id/ is involved so i should be searching here or framework file.

It works both ways...your app can call @ANDROID:id/action_bar_title, but usually it's framework. So you should usually check both just in case.

 

[TONY6669]

Hey guys not sure I am in the right spot but looking for a little help ..does anyone know where the gallery main background pulls from in 5.0 thanks in advance for any help or if someone can send me in the right direction thanks again

 

[Breakcore_Rush]

@nicholaschum
Seems this function was cut in newest version of AS

 

[xob0t]

Hello everyone.
Can somebody help my with this xml? - https://gist.github.com/xob0t/ed321a33499c60e54f319b7601ece0f8
Im getting this error when applying averlay
» [com.bandcamp.android]: /data/user/0/projekt.substratum/cache/SubstratumBuilder//res/layout/feed_story_album_of_the_day.xml:7: error: No resource identifier found for attribute 'aspectRatio' in package 'com.bandcamp.android.MyFirstTHeme'
» [com.bandcamp.android]: /data/user/0/projekt.substratum/cache/SubstratumBuilder//res/layout/feed_story_album_of_the_day.xml:7: error: No resource identifier found for attribute 'border' in package 'com.bandcamp.android.MyFirstTHeme'
» [com.bandcamp.android]: Installation of "com.bandcamp.android" has failed.

 

[Spannaa]

Hello everyone.
Can somebody help my with this xml? - https://gist.github.com/xob0t/ed321a33499c60e54f319b7601ece0f8
Im getting this error when applying averlay
» [com.bandcamp.android]: /data/user/0/projekt.substratum/cache/SubstratumBuilder//res/layout/feed_story_album_of_the_day.xml:7: error: No resource identifier found for attribute 'aspectRatio' in package 'com.bandcamp.android.MyFirstTHeme'
» [com.bandcamp.android]: /data/user/0/projekt.substratum/cache/SubstratumBuilder//res/layout/feed_story_album_of_the_day.xml:7: error: No resource identifier found for attribute 'border' in package 'com.bandcamp.android.MyFirstTHeme'
» [com.bandcamp.android]: Installation of "com.bandcamp.android" has failed.

On line 3, try changing:

xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"

to:

xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/com.bandcamp.android"

 

[xob0t]

On line 3, try changing:

Thanks! It worked! :good:

 

[Spannaa]

Thanks! It worked! :good:

Great :good:

Next time, it's probably better if you ask in the substratum questions about theming thread

 

[SolCanis]

Making my way to theming (Almost there). Some Questions.

So, first thanks for the tutorial. This was a definite treasure trove of info. I am currently trying to make my way to theming my Huawei Mate 9. (C567 - USA Model) I love this phone so much but, the desire to be different with EMUI also leaked over to behind the scenes stuff. I am new to this. 3-4 days in...and a lot of things look...different. Like for example: Your decompiled apk contained obvious values for colors and what not in a neat little reference location mine does not @_@' they all nearly look hardcoded in and I currently don't know where they are if not. To be fair I haven't really made heads or tails of XML files yet...I mean just enough to really navigate them confidently. Still in search and destroy mode. :cyclops:

I know it's been nearly 3 years since the initial post but, I am wondering. For those that theme and for you yourself. What do you use to decompile your apks? It could just be nuances however, when looking at the SystemUI.apk I did find a values folder that was empty and there were a few others that were simply empty. So my thoughts are maybe what I am using to decompile might be, "off", or it really is just the nuances of the developers over at Huawei?

However....

Seeing that the SystemUI.apk has an Android N logo I had figured that not really much of it would be modified?
Do you understand my contention?
Has anyone themed Nougat? What should / shouldn't be there?
I am wondering if that apk is standardized specifically for a given version of android or can it be modified directly for a modified version of android or would those modifications take place elsewhere? Like for example inside EMUI and not the System UI.
Would all Nougat devices share this common apk? Just like all devices share the Nougat Android OS?

 

[steha]

So, first thanks for the tutorial. This was a definite treasure trove of info. I am currently trying to make my way to theming my Huawei Mate 9. (C567 - USA Model) I love this phone so much but, the desire to be different with EMUI also leaked over to behind the scenes stuff. I am new to this. 3-4 days in...and a lot of things look...different. Like for example: Your decompiled apk contained obvious values for colors and what not in a neat little reference location mine does not @_@' they all nearly look hardcoded in and I currently don't know where they are if not. To be fair I haven't really made heads or tails of XML files yet...I mean just enough to really navigate them confidently. Still in search and destroy mode. :cyclops:

I know it's been nearly 3 years since the initial post but, I am wondering. For those that theme and for you yourself. What do you use to decompile your apks? It could just be nuances however, when looking at the SystemUI.apk I did find a values folder that was empty and there were a few others that were simply empty. So my thoughts are maybe what I am using to decompile might be, "off", or it really is just the nuances of the developers over at Huawei?

However....

Seeing that the SystemUI.apk has an Android N logo I had figured that not really much of it would be modified?
Do you understand my contention?
Has anyone themed Nougat? What should / shouldn't be there?
I am wondering if that apk is standardized specifically for a given version of android or can it be modified directly for a modified version of android or would those modifications take place elsewhere? Like for example inside EMUI and not the System UI.
Would all Nougat devices share this common apk? Just like all devices share the Nougat Android OS?

Tickle my android by @Ticklefish is fantastic does everythin you could need.

Sent from my SM-G930F using XDA-Developers Legacy app

 

[Spannaa]

Tickle my android by @Ticklefish is fantastic does everythin you could need.

Since TMA uses apktool, it probably won't help here.

Apktool isn't compatible with Huawei files, sorry. They construct their APK's in an unusual way and keep that way a secret. A pain, I know.

 

[Ticklefish]

So, first thanks for the tutorial. This was a definite treasure trove of info. I am currently trying to make my way to theming my Huawei Mate 9. (C567 - USA Model) I love this phone so much but, the desire to be different with EMUI also leaked over to behind the scenes stuff. I am new to this. 3-4 days in...and a lot of things look...different. Like for example: Your decompiled apk contained obvious values for colors and what not in a neat little reference location mine does not @_@' they all nearly look hardcoded in and I currently don't know where they are if not. To be fair I haven't really made heads or tails of XML files yet...I mean just enough to really navigate them confidently. Still in search and destroy mode. :cyclops:

I know it's been nearly 3 years since the initial post but, I am wondering. For those that theme and for you yourself. What do you use to decompile your apks? It could just be nuances however, when looking at the SystemUI.apk I did find a values folder that was empty and there were a few others that were simply empty. So my thoughts are maybe what I am using to decompile might be, "off", or it really is just the nuances of the developers over at Huawei?

However....

Seeing that the SystemUI.apk has an Android N logo I had figured that not really much of it would be modified?
Do you understand my contention?
Has anyone themed Nougat? What should / shouldn't be there?
I am wondering if that apk is standardized specifically for a given version of android or can it be modified directly for a modified version of android or would those modifications take place elsewhere? Like for example inside EMUI and not the System UI.
Would all Nougat devices share this common apk? Just like all devices share the Nougat Android OS?

Tickle my android by @Ticklefish is fantastic does everythin you could need.

Sent from my SM-G930F using XDA-Developers Legacy app

Since TMA uses apktool, it probably won't help here.

Yeeeessss....as much as I appreciate the mention, I'm afraid that Spannaa's right - Apktool and Huawei don't get on.
Huawei do some nice stuff but their files are constructed in a non-standard way and I can't guarantee that they can be decompiled or recompiled properly.

To answer the rest of your post, because I hate to just give people bad news, there's an introductory guide to XML modding here: https://xdaforums.com/general/xda-university/xml-101-xml-modding-easy-t2929816. It's written by a very good friend of mine and will hopefully be useful to you.
Different phones, and even different roms for the same phone, use different APK files. Sadly you can't take a SystemUI.apk from one rom (for example) and put it in another. You have to edit your own files...which could be tricky in your case.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Android modding, by the way. It's confusing as hell at first, but it does make sense. Honest!

 

[SolCanis]

Huawei Mate 9 .apk strangness

Since TMA uses apktool, it probably won't help here.

Yeah, I am realizing that now. I am currently making my way through the process of deodexing .odex files to class.dex files which is turning out to be a pain because I am not sure about it, still reading up on some stuff but I suspect...a lot of what I need to know is in that .odex file...and the framework something or the other is strange too.
It's strange because all the commonality between other devices on other threads doesn't seem to be likely something to be extended to Huawei devices...I just can't give up a 4k mAh battery though :/

---------- Post added at 07:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 AM ----------

Yeeeessss....as much as I appreciate the mention, I'm afraid that Spannaa's right - Apktool and Huawei don't get on.
Huawei do some nice stuff but their files are constructed in a non-standard way and I can't guarantee that they can be decompiled or recompiled properly.

To answer the rest of your post, because I hate to just give people bad news, there's an introductory guide to XML modding here: https://xdaforums.com/general/xda-university/xml-101-xml-modding-easy-t2929816. It's written by a very good friend of mine and will hopefully be useful to you.
Different phones, and even different roms for the same phone, use different APK files. Sadly you can't take a SystemUI.apk from one rom (for example) and put it in another. You have to edit your own files...which could be tricky in your case.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Android modding, by the way. It's confusing as hell at first, but it does make sense. Honest!

I see, I will check out the .xml link for sure.
So I have had some poking around and I didn't get a chance to really look at things as I am still learning....
I was mostly curious as frame of reference as far as theming goes...like this should be here and this there if systemui.apk is standard but as it seems it is not and that emui.apk is not the place where all this hardcoded UI tweaking takes place than I gues it would suggest that systemui.apk is unique to individual phones on some level and that you might not be able to use the other as a guide as to what should be where in the other. I've always planned on using my own rom...I'm behind the curve on a lot of this stuff and there is lot's of dated info I run into. So, when I see the threads asking for roms it's just not an option; it reads confusing then so I am sure it will be worse now. :/

Also thanks for the Tip and the info on editing .xml files.

PS: I am hoping ideally, that what I need to edit/ theme my device is stored in one place or the other and not across both; primarily FIRST that all the color values are just in the .odex although I am not sure why that data would receive any sort of post, "privilege", to lessen boot times even further? :/ Annnnywho, thanks! I'll get there

 

[Ticklefish]

Yeah, I am realizing that now. I am currently making my way through the process of deodexing .odex files to class.dex files which is turning out to be a pain because I am not sure about it, still reading up on some stuff but I suspect...a lot of what I need to know is in that .odex file...and the framework something or the other is strange too.
It's strange because all the commonality between other devices on other threads doesn't seem to be likely something to be extended to Huawei devices...I just can't give up a 4k mAh battery though :/

---------- Post added at 07:01 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 AM ----------



I see, I will check out the .xml link for sure.
So I have had some poking around and I didn't get a chance to really look at things as I am still learning....
I was mostly curious as frame of reference as far as theming goes...like this should be here and this there if systemui.apk is standard but as it seems it is not and that emui.apk is not the place where all this hardcoded UI tweaking takes place than I gues it would suggest that systemui.apk is unique to individual phones on some level and that you might not be able to use the other as a guide as to what should be where in the other. I've always planned on using my own rom...I'm behind the curve on a lot of this stuff and there is lot's of dated info I run into. So, when I see the threads asking for roms it's just not an option; it reads confusing then so I am sure it will be worse now. :/

Also thanks for the Tip and the info on editing .xml files.

PS: I am hoping ideally, that what I need to edit/ theme my device is stored in one place or the other and not across both; primarily FIRST that all the color values are just in the .odex although I am not sure why that data would receive any sort of post, "privilege", to lessen boot times even further? :/ Annnnywho, thanks! I'll get there

Colour values are normally stored in resources.arsc, which is stored in the APK itself. The ODEX files essentially contain all the Java code. In a deodexed rom, that file is placed inside the APK as classes.dex files which can then be turned into smali files.
I know MIUI does things differently but I'd imagine it'd be pretty similar in this.

Sent from my Sony Xperia XA1 using XDA Labs

 

[kiece_donck]

Thanks mate !