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tiann/understand-plugin-framework

★ 2,652 · Java · Apache-2.0 · updated Aug 2018

demos to help understand plugin framwork

A series of Android demo apps from 2016 that walk through how DroidPlugin-style plugin frameworks work under the hood — dynamic proxy hooks, Binder interception, AMS/PMS hooking, classloader manipulation. It's a companion to a blog series by the same author. Aimed at Android developers who want to understand how plugin frameworks actually work, not just use one.

Each concept gets its own self-contained Android module (binder-hook, classloader-hook, ams-pms-hook, etc.), so you can run and modify individual pieces without untangling a monolith. The progression is logical — starts with Java dynamic proxies as a concept, then applies the same thinking to Binder and AMS. The author is honest in the README that the era is over and explains why, which is more useful than pretending the tech is still relevant. As an archaeology exercise for understanding how Android internals fit together, the code is still readable.

Abandoned in 2018 and the author explicitly says it will never be finished — several planned chapters (resource management, cross-plugin communication, framework comparison) were never written. Android 9.0 private API restrictions broke most of what's demonstrated here; none of it will run on a modern device without workarounds. The README is entirely in Chinese, which limits the audience. There's no explanation of what changed in newer Android versions or how to adapt the techniques, so readers following along will hit walls immediately on any device past API 27.

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