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Tool

ARSCLib

Java library, modeled on AOSP's androidfw ResourceTypes.h and meant to replace aapt/aapt2, that reads, writes, modifies and creates Android resource tables (resources.arsc) and binary XML files such as AndroidManifest.xml. It decodes resources to readable JSON, which also handles obfuscated names, or to XML source when names are intact, and builds either form back into binary resources; APK module classes decode, merge and write whole packages. It also has an experimental DEX read/write package, and the APKEditor command-line tool is built on it.

Requirements & limits

  • Latest release at review: V1.4.0, published 2026-07-01 with an attached ARSCLib-1.4.0.jar; the same version is on Maven Central as io.github.reandroid:ARSCLib. The reviewed main commit, from 2026-10-19, is 34 commits ahead, already sets version 1.4.1 in build.gradle and is labeled part 1 of an overhaul of the library core, so its APIs may differ from the release.
  • Pure Java with no runtime dependencies (JUnit 4.12 for tests); the Gradle build targets Java 8, ./gradlew jar builds the JAR, and CI runs the unit tests and JAR build on JDK 8. The README says it works on Java platforms including Android, Linux, macOS and Windows. It is used as a Maven dependency or a JAR, not as a standalone command-line tool; the README points to APKEditor for that.
  • Works on APKs and resource files the user supplies. The README says decoding to XML needs un-obfuscated, valid resource names, so obfuscated tables are decoded to JSON instead, and that building validates far less than aapt/aapt2, leaving the user to know which values Android accepts. The dex package's README calls it experimental and not fully implemented.
  • src/main/resources/frameworks bundles Android framework resource tables for API levels 23 to 37, each a small APK holding only resources.arsc and AndroidManifest.xml, used to resolve framework references; the commit adding API 37 names Google's platform-37.2-beta3 SDK package as its source. The tests include one small type_id_offset.apk fixture.
  • Apache-2.0. The reviewed sources state no REA use, and this collection did not build the library or process any APK.

About this entry

Type
Tool
Category
Android tools
Relationship
Foundation tool
Targets
App

Sources reviewed

The description was reviewed against primary sources. This does not establish runtime testing, security auditing or verified compatibility.

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Primary sources

  1. README.md GitHub · REAndroid/ARSCLib · Revision bd7221b
  2. build.gradle GitHub · REAndroid/ARSCLib · Revision bd7221b
  3. .github/workflows/gradle-test.yml GitHub · REAndroid/ARSCLib · Revision bd7221b
  4. src/main/java/com/reandroid/dex/README.md GitHub · REAndroid/ARSCLib · Revision bd7221b
  5. src/main/java/com/reandroid/apk GitHub · REAndroid/ARSCLib · Revision bd7221b
  6. src/main/resources/frameworks/android GitHub · REAndroid/ARSCLib · Revision bd7221b
  7. https://github.com/REAndroid/ARSCLib/commit/f08adf80672cb7e1a4d1a786e861327fcd3934c5
  8. LICENSE GitHub · REAndroid/ARSCLib · Revision bd7221b
  9. https://github.com/REAndroid/ARSCLib/releases/tag/V1.4.0
  10. https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/io/github/reandroid/ARSCLib/maven-metadata.xml
  11. README.md GitHub · REAndroid/APKEditor · Revision 5621fe6

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