aapt Examples (with examples)

Use Case 1: List files contained in an APK archive

Code:

aapt list path/to/app.apk

Motivation:

This use case allows you to view the list of files contained within an APK archive. It is useful for developers who want to get an overview of the resources and assets included in their Android app.

Explanation:

• list is the command that instructs aapt to list the files.
• path/to/app.apk is the path to the APK archive you want to examine.

Example Output:

res/
res/drawable/
res/drawable/icon.png
res/layout/
res/layout/activity_main.xml
AndroidManifest.xml
classes.dex
META-INF/
META-INF/MANIFEST.MF

The output displays the names and paths of the files present within the APK archive.

Use Case 2: Display an app’s metadata

Code:

aapt dump badging path/to/app.apk

Motivation:

This use case allows you to extract and display important metadata about an app, such as its version, package name, permissions, and launchable activity. It can be helpful for developers who need to analyze and verify the properties of an APK file.

Explanation:

• dump badging is the command that tells aapt to extract and display the app’s metadata.
• path/to/app.apk is the path to the APK file you want to examine.

Example Output:

package: name='com.example.myapp' versionCode='1' versionName='1.0'
sdkVersion:'23'
targetSdkVersion:'30'
uses-permission: name='android.permission.INTERNET'
application: label='My App' icon='res/drawable/icon.png'
launchable-activity: name='com.example.myapp.MainActivity'  label='My App' icon=''

The output shows various information about the app, including its package name, version code, version name, targeted SDK version, declared permissions, application label, and launchable activity.

Use Case 3: Create a new APK archive with files from a directory

Code:

aapt package -F path/to/app.apk path/to/directory

Motivation:

This use case allows you to create a new APK archive by packaging and compressing the files from a specified directory. It is useful for developers who want to build an APK without relying on an integrated development environment (IDE).

Explanation:

• package is the command used to produce an APK archive.
• -F is an option to specify the output APK file path.
• path/to/app.apk is the path where the new APK file will be created.
• path/to/directory is the directory containing the files to be included in the APK.

Example Output:

Built APK successfully: path/to/app.apk

The output confirms that the APK archive was created successfully at the specified path.

By using the aapt command with these different use cases, you can effectively manage and inspect the resources of your Android app. Whether you need to list the files within an APK archive, view app metadata, or create a new APK with files from a directory, the aapt command provides the necessary functionality.