Android: How to modify Settings app?

Question

I would like to hack around the Android default Settings app for prototyping purposes. What is the correct procedure for building and installing the "customized" app?

After I modify the Settings source in the platform source tree, how to I build it? After I build it, can I install Settings by itself, or do I rebuild and reinstall the entire Android platform image?

Answer 1

Here is an excellent article on compiling and replacing individual system apps: http://devtcg.blogspot.com/2009/03/building-running-and-debugging-android.html

In essence, you just make that one app and then copy the APK into /system/app.