View Compiler

This directory contains an experimental compiler for layout files.

It will take a layout XML file and produce a CompiledLayout.java file with a specialized layout inflation function.

To use it, let's assume you had a layout in my_layout.xml and your app was in the Java language package com.example.myapp. Run the following command:

viewcompiler my_layout.xml --package com.example.myapp --out CompiledView.java

This will produce a CompiledView.java, which can then be compiled into your Android app. Then to use it, in places where you would have inflated R.layouts.my_layout, instead call CompiledView.inflate.

Precompiling views like this generally improves the time needed to inflate them.

This tool is still in its early stages and has a number of limitations.

• Currently only one layout can be compiled at a time.
• merge and include nodes are not supported.
• View compilation is a manual process that requires code changes in the application.
• This only works for apps that do not use a custom layout inflater.
• Other limitations yet to be discovered.