Android binary XML format

[VectraMan]

This is a bit of a long shot:

Android applications comes as a .apk (which is a zip), and inside there is a file called manifest.xml. You might reasonably think this was an XML file, but in fact it's a "binary XML" file - a mysterious format that the Android SDK tools magic up out of a real XML file. I'm trying to rewrite / modify that file, but I can't find anything on the format, other than some odd mention of some python code in a repository somewhere that maybe decodes it.

Does anyone have the slightest idea where I can find the details of this format?

[Spacecadet]

This is a bit of a long shot:

Android applications comes as a .apk (which is a zip), and inside there is a file called manifest.xml. You might reasonably think this was an XML file, but in fact it's a "binary XML" file - a mysterious format that the Android SDK tools magic up out of a real XML file. I'm trying to rewrite / modify that file, but I can't find anything on the format, other than some odd mention of some python code in a repository somewhere that maybe decodes it.

Does anyone have the slightest idea where I can find the details of this format?

Have you looked at XDA Developers?

[Spacecadet]

[Q] Reverse Enginner and edit Manifest problem! - xda-developers

[UTIL][Feb 02 2013] Apktool v1.5.2 - a tool for reverse engineering apk files - xda-developers

[VectraMan]

Thanks. That does look like it might work.