Android Screen Component Hierarchy Collection Without Rebuilds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for distributing Android applications require significant time and resources for development, build, testing, and distribution, and do not allow for efficient remote patching of screen components without rebuilding or redistributing the application.
Innovation Solution
A method for supporting information collection for screen components using a computing device that accesses a pre-designated library to detect the hierarchy of UI components, generates report information for child and parent UIs, and transmits this information to a server without rebuilding or redistributing the application.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the traditional Android application distribution process is used, then the application can be distributed through Google Play Store, but significant time and resources are consumed for development, build, testing, and distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the screen component information collection function from the traditional application distribution process. By using Android ViewBinder to bind data to view hierarchies and Android ViewTreeObserver to observe changes, the system can collect screen component information without going through the complete development, build, and distribution cycle, thus reducing time consumption while maintaining distribution efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary information collection system that acts between the application and the distribution process. This system uses ViewBinder as a mediator to bind screen component data to view hierarchies and ViewTreeObserver as a mediator to observe and collect changes, enabling efficient information collection without requiring full application redistribution
2Loss of time
If remote patching of screen components is implemented without rebuilding or redistributing the application, then time and resource consumption is reduced, but the ability to change execution entity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic screen component information collection through Android ViewTreeObserver, which dynamically observes and collects information about view hierarchies as they change. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different screen component structures without requiring application rebuilding or redistribution, thus reducing time consumption while maintaining adaptability to various execution entities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of information collection from static (requiring application rebuild) to dynamic (observing view hierarchy changes). By using ViewBinder to bind data to view hierarchies and ViewTreeObserver to detect changes, the system can collect screen component information by observing parameter changes in the view tree, enabling remote patching without time-consuming rebuilding processes
Data Source
AI summary
A method for supporting information collection for screen components performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor is disclosed according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The method for supporting information collection for the screen components may comprise: accessing a pre-designated library in response to execution of a target application; executing a command for detecting a hierarchy of a parent UI (User Interface) included in the library; determining whether at least one child UI type, which is a lower hierarchy determined according to a type of the parent UI, exists; and generating report information for displaying at least one child object representing the at least one child UI and a parent object representing the parent UI in a pre-designated visualization method, when the at least one child UI exists.