Modify delta-chat apk for dummies

#1

Valued delta-chat team, developer, user,

seeking after ways how to reasy “hack” simple changes into an “own fork” my person hasn’t found easy ways yet like if modifying a web software and layout with simply editing files with an editor.

Having tested such as “apk-editor”, if chosing full edit would show a punch of warings, likewise when building apk again.
If using “replace files” not all files are found. Sure the structur and where what to edit is also a great mystery.

Maybe some are inspired to make shares of how to simple “hack” “own” versions, mainly in regard of layout, texts, language and lesser on functional level.

#2

As the android client is written in java, the real hack approach would be to disassemble the jar, access the code and change it. With all it’s problems and quirks of working with already compiled code. This is the approach people use if there is no source code available and therefore the application not open source.

But as deltachat is open source, you can “just” clone the repository, set up a dev environment and enjoy the developer experience. Java is not like a web application, where you can simply change some css or html to change the look and feel of an application. For the android app, all the positioning and gui structure happens through the java code instead of a seperation of structure (html) and look/positioning (css).

But I’m not an android dev, so maybe my view is inaccurate.

#3

Appreciation for share some infos, good master.