[BUG]meta-data value in AndroidManifest.xml is incorrect with space after rebuilding

[xigoEditer]

Information

1. Apktool Version (apktool -version) - 2.11.1
2. Operating System (Mac, Linux, Windows) - Windows
3. APK From? (Playstore, ROM, Other) - build by myself
4. Java Version (java --version) - 1.8

Stacktrace/Logcat

Include stacktrace here

Steps to Reproduce

1. apktool d
2. apktool b

Frameworks

If this APK is from an OEM ROM (Samsung, HTC, LG). Please attach framework files
(.apks that live in /system/framework or /system/priv-app)

APK

If this APK can be freely shared, please upload/attach a link to it.

Questions to ask before submission

1. Have you tried apktool d, apktool b without changing anything? yes
2. If you are trying to install a modified apk, did you resign it? yes
3. Are you using the latest apktool version? yes

In the class 'AndroidManifestResourceParser', there are some codes:

public String getAttributeValue(int index) {
        String value = super.getAttributeValue(index);
        if (value == null) {
            return "";
        }

        if (!isNumericStringMetadataAttributeValue(index, value)) {
            return value;
        }

        // Patch the numeric string value by prefixing it with an escaped space.
        // Otherwise, when the decoded app is rebuilt, aapt will incorrectly encode
        // the value as an int or float (depending on aapt version), breaking the original
        // app functionality.
        return "\\ " + value.trim();
    }

    private boolean isNumericStringMetadataAttributeValue(int index, String value) {
        return "meta-data".equals(super.getName())
                && "value".equals(super.getAttributeName(index))
                && super.getAttributeValueType(index) == TypedValue.TYPE_STRING
                && PATTERN_NUMERIC_STRING.matcher(value).matches();
    }

but,when i rebuild the apk,the value is incorrect with a space.

this is the meta-data value before decoding

this is the meta-data value after rebuilding.

Is this code still necessary?

return "\\ " + value.trim();

[iBotPeaches]

Vague memory that this was only required for aapt1 - I'll loop up with @IgorEisberg to see if we can remove that workaround in 3.x.

Otherwise yes it is required, otherwise its casted to int/float and overflows.

[IgorEisberg]

Vague memory that this was only required for aapt1 - I'll loop up with @IgorEisberg to see if we can remove that workaround in 3.x.

Otherwise yes it is required, otherwise its casted to int/float and overflows.

From what I can tell, aapt2 decides whether to encode as integer or string automatically based on the validity of the value.
If the value is within the integer range (-2147483648 to 2147483647), it's encoded as an integer, otherwise as a string.
Source:

<meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID" android:value="605237790796" />
<meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID2" android:value="2147483646" />

Encoded:

E: meta-data (line=11)
  A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:name(0x01010003)="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID" (Raw: "com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID")
  A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:value(0x01010024)="605237790796" (Raw: "605237790796")
E: meta-data (line=12)
  A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:name(0x01010003)="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID2" (Raw: "com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID2")
  A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:value(0x01010024)=2147483646

However, to force APP_ID2's value to a string, looks like adding '\' (no space) works.

<meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID" android:value="605237790796" />
<meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID2" android:value="\2147483646" />

Encoded:

E: meta-data (line=11)
  A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:name(0x01010003)="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID" (Raw: "com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID")
  A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:value(0x01010024)="605237790796" (Raw: "605237790796")
E: meta-data (line=12)
  A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:name(0x01010003)="com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID2" (Raw: "com.google.android.gms.games.APP_ID2")
  A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:value(0x01010024)="2147483646" (Raw: "2147483646")

[IgorEisberg]

Also, this test makes no sense:

Apktool/brut.apktool/apktool-lib/src/test/resources/testapp/res/layout/issue1130.xml

Lines 1 to 7 in 56a3149

	<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
	<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
	<TableLayout android:shrinkColumns="1" />
	<TableLayout android:shrinkColumns="\ 2147483647" />
	<TableLayout android:shrinkColumns="\ 2147483648" />
	<TableLayout android:shrinkColumns="\ 555555555555555555" />
	</LinearLayout>

The format of this attribute is already predefined in the definition:

<attr name="shrinkColumns" format="string" />

So, the value will always be encoded as a string, including "1".

N: android=http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android (line=2)
  E: LinearLayout (line=2)
      E: TableLayout (line=3)
        A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:shrinkColumns(0x0101014a)="1" (Raw: "1")
      E: TableLayout (line=4)
        A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:shrinkColumns(0x0101014a)=" 2147483647" (Raw: " 2147483647")
      E: TableLayout (line=5)
        A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:shrinkColumns(0x0101014a)=" 2147483648" (Raw: " 2147483648")
      E: TableLayout (line=6)
        A: http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android:shrinkColumns(0x0101014a)=" 555555555555555555" (Raw: " 555555555555555555")

[iBotPeaches]

Fixed in - 8fd4b31