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Introduction to HarmonyOS Next Application UI Generation Tool

#harmonyosnext

Introduction to HarmonyOS Next Application UI Generation Tool

Background

During the adaptation and development of HarmonyOS Next, it is difficult to refer to previous logic, and the documentation may be incomplete or take a long time to access. Therefore, developers often have to refer to Android or iOS code. For some scenarios with complex logic, AI tools can be used to convert Android Java code logic into TypeScript (TS) for partial reuse. For UI scenarios, manual coding is required. Although ArkUI improves page development efficiency, the workload remains substantial for numerous pages. The official has provided a tool to convert Android APK to ArkTS pages, and this article guides you through the experience.

Tool Introduction

The UI Generator is designed to quickly generate compilable and runnable HarmonyOS UI projects. It supports converting existing UI layout files (XML) into corresponding HarmonyOS UI code, including basic HarmonyOS projects, page layouts, components and properties, as well as resource files.

Requirement: Use DevEco Studio 5.0.3.700 or a higher version.

Tool Configuration

  1. In DevEco Studio, open the settings page, click on "Plugins", find the installed UI Generator plugin, and enable it:

  2. After enabling and confirming, click "Generate Project from ..." in the toolbar:

  3. Agree to the user agreement for the first-time entry:

  4. Select the path of the Android APK package and the Android SDK path:

  5. Select the XML layout to convert:

  6. Click "Next":

  7. Set the "Destination Path" as the path and name for the generated HarmonyOS Next public beta project. Click "Confirm" to start the conversion. The conversion log is as follows:

2025-01-22 12:08:02,885   In /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug
2025-01-22 12:08:02,960   sdkdir: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk
2025-01-22 12:08:02,960   apkpath: /Users/shen/Downloads/app-debug.apk
2025-01-22 12:08:02,960   androidsdk: /Users/shen/Library/Android/sdk
2025-01-22 12:08:02,960   aapt: /Users/shen/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/34.0.0/aapt2
2025-01-22 12:08:02,962   bash dumpres.sh /Users/shen/Downloads/app-debug.apk /Users/shen/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/34.0.0/aapt2
2025-01-22 12:08:05,916   run dump apk resources finished.
2025-01-22 12:08:05,917   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:05,917   /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/maple-decompile.sh exec success
2025-01-22 12:08:05,917   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:05,920   In /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/runs
2025-01-22 12:08:05,939   dexdir: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/unzip
2025-01-22 12:08:05,939   androiddir: /Users/shen/Library/Android/sdk
2025-01-22 12:08:05,939   componentspath: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/runs/components.txt
2025-01-22 12:08:05,950   bash /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/bin/component_analyze.sh --dexdump-dir=/Users/shen/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/34.0.0/dexdump --dex-dir=/Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/unzip --mplsdk-dir=/Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk --component-include=false /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/runs/components.txt
2025-01-22 12:08:05,965   dexdump-dir: /Users/shen/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/34.0.0/dexdump
2025-01-22 12:08:05,965   dex-dir: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/unzip
2025-01-22 12:08:05,966   analysis start!
2025-01-22 12:08:05,967   Darwin
2025-01-22 12:08:05,967   xml analysis start
2025-01-22 12:08:05,975   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:05,975   /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/runs/maple-files-dex.sh exec success
2025-01-22 12:08:05,975   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:44,098   In /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk
2025-01-22 12:08:44,105   Darwin
2025-01-22 12:08:44,129   target is xml file, no need to analyze dex dependency, exit dex-crop.sh
2025-01-22 12:08:44,130   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:44,130   /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/bin/dex_crop.sh exec success
2025-01-22 12:08:44,130   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:44,143   In /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/components
2025-01-22 12:08:44,173   cp: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/maple_deps/host_maple/bin_darwin/dex2mpl is a directory (not copied).
2025-01-22 12:08:44,180   cp: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/autodeps/bin_darwin/dex2deps is a directory (not copied).
2025-01-22 12:08:44,181   cp: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/autodeps/bin_darwin/gendeps is a directory (not copied).
2025-01-22 12:08:44,183   chmod: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/autodeps/bin/*: No such file or directory
2025-01-22 12:08:44,185   maplebinary: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/maple_deps/host_maple/bin/maple
2025-01-22 12:08:44,185   xmldir: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/decompile
2025-01-22 12:08:44,185   component: layout/activity_preview.xml
2025-01-22 12:08:44,185   sdkdir: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk
2025-01-22 12:08:44,185   apkname: app-debug
2025-01-22 12:08:44,185   sourcedir:
2025-01-22 12:08:44,185   mplfile: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/components/test.mpl
2025-01-22 12:08:44,185   dexdump:
2025-01-22 12:08:44,187   /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/maple_deps/host_maple/bin/maple --infile /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/components/test.mpl --me-opt="--O2 --quiet --no-nativeopt --meverify --threads=4 --no-ignoreipa --enable-ea" --mpl2mpl-opt="--O2 --quiet --regnativefunc --deferred-visit --no-nativeopt --maplelinker --emitVtableImpl --maplelinker-nolocal --sva --android-xml=/Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/decompile --xml-to-analyze=layout/activity_preview.xml --class-to-analyze=activity_preview --config-path=/Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/config_files" --save-temps
2025-01-22 12:08:46,235   Sighandler : signal handler isn't implemented for non-unix os
2025-01-22 12:08:46,235   Sighandler : signal handler isn't implemented for non-unix os
2025-01-22 12:08:46,235   Sighandler : signal handler isn't implemented for non-unix os
2025-01-22 12:08:46,235   Sighandler : signal handler isn't implemented for non-unix os
2025-01-22 12:08:46,235   Sighandler : signal handler isn't implemented for non-unix os
2025-01-22 12:08:46,235   Sighandler : signal handler isn't implemented for non-unix os
2025-01-22 12:08:46,235   Sighandler : signal handler isn't implemented for non-unix os
2025-01-22 12:08:46,763   android activities cnt : 10
2025-01-22 12:08:46,763   => Log File: android-ui-ir-activity_preview.log
2025-01-22 12:08:46,763   ==========> Save UI Generate Report to activity_preview_generation_report.json <==========
2025-01-22 12:08:46,769   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:46,769   /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/components/maple.sh exec success
2025-01-22 12:08:46,769   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:46,784   In /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/components
2025-01-22 12:08:46,787   Darwin
2025-01-22 12:08:46,793   dexdump-dir: /Users/shen/Library/Android/sdk
2025-01-22 12:08:46,793   dex-dir: /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/build/app-debug/unzip
2025-01-22 12:08:46,793   cropping analysis start!
2025-01-22 12:08:46,793   searching for all dexdump
2025-01-22 12:08:48,812   searching for all dexdump
2025-01-22 12:08:48,812   /Users/shen/Library/Android/sdk/build-tools/30.0.2/dexdump
2025-01-22 12:08:48,812   searching for all dex file
2025-01-22 12:08:48,815    1 dexdump location founded.
2025-01-22 12:08:49,409   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:49,409   /Users/shen/Library/Caches/Huawei/DevEcoStudio5.0/ui-generation/maple-sdk/bin/get_base_class.sh exec success
2025-01-22 12:08:49,409   =================================================
2025-01-22 12:08:49,458   Generation IR Time Elapsed: 5.368000 s
2025-01-22 12:09:06,886   Generation Success, Generated Project Location: 2025-01-22 12:09:06,886   /Users/shen/UIGenerationProjects/UIGeneration_app-debug_activity_preview
2025-01-22 12:09:06,886   Generation Project Time Elapsed: 0.129000 s
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  1. After opening the new project, the generated pages are located in the entry > src > main > ets > pages directory. You can preview the pages in the Previewer. The entry > src > main > resources directory of the new project contains text, image, and color resources.

Example:

Android XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>  
<ScrollView xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"  
            android:layout_width="match_parent"  
            android:layout_height="match_parent"  
            android:orientation="vertical">  

    <LinearLayout        android:id="@+id/container"  
        android:layout_width="213dp"  
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"  
        android:orientation="vertical">  

    </LinearLayout>
</ScrollView>
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Generated ArkTS Code:

@Entry  
@Component  
export struct activity_preview {  
  build() {  
    /*  
     * FIXME: Unhandled property 'android:orientation'  
     */    Scroll() {  
      Column()  
        .id('container')  
        .width('213vp')  
        .alignItems(HorizontalAlign.Start)  
    }  
    .align(Alignment.TopStart)  
    .width('100%')  
    .height('100%')  
  }  
}
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Components and properties that cannot be generated will be provided in the form of comments to facilitate subsequent location and modification.

Summary

Although some custom components or properties cannot be directly converted, for complex pages, this tool can help us generate the overall framework and most of the code, which can greatly improve our development efficiency. We recommend everyone to give it a try.

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