File Extension Search

.ab File Extension

Developer: Google
File type: Android ADB Backup File
You're here because you have a file that has a file extension ending in .ab. Files with the file extension .ab can only be launched by certain applications. It's possible that .ab files are data files rather than documents or media, which means they're not meant to be viewed at all.

what is a .ab file?

The Android SDK (Software Development Kit) program creates and accesses files appended with the .ab extension. This software has a version for Microsoft Windows-based systems, and users can install another version for their Mac-based platforms. The Android Debug Bridge application is an applet integrated into the Android SDK software, and this is a command-line program. The content of files in the AB format consists of references to developer libraries and other files used by Android development project output files. These AB files are backup files used to restore data associated to an Android application development project created using the Android SDK software. Google developed the Android SDK software and the AB file format. Usually, AB files are not comprised of APK files, which are the Android mobile applications themselves, but rather just snapshots and references to other files and elements. "adb backup -all" is a command users can type to create an AB backup file of an Android SDK project and store it in the directory where the project is found. "adb backup -apk -all" on the other hand creates an AB backup file with the associated APK file in the directory where the Android SDK project is found. The "adb restore backup.ab" command will restore the application.

how to open a .ab file?

Launch a .ab file, or any other file on your PC, by double-clicking it. If your file associations are set up correctly, the application that's meant to open your .ab file will open it. It's possible you may need to download or purchase the correct application. It's also possible that you have the correct application on your PC, but .ab files aren't yet associated with it. In this case, when you try to open a .ab file, you can tell Windows which application is the correct one for that file. From then on, opening a  .ab file will open the correct application. Click here to fix .ab file association errors

applications that open a .ab file

Google Android SDK

Google Android SDK

Android software development is the process of creating new applications for the operating system of Android. Applications are created using Java programming language. Android SDK [software development kit] includes a comprehensive set of applications such as libraries, debuggers, documentation, sample code, handset emulator based on QEMU and tutorials for Android. It works on Microsoft Windows XP and later, Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later for Mac platforms. Developers can use any text editor to edit XML and Java files, use command line tools of Apache Ant and Java Development Kit to create, debug and build applications and control devices attached to your Android such as remote installation of a software package and triggering a reboot. Applications for Android are packaged in APK file format. The APK package stores DEX files called Dalvik executables which are compilations of byte code files. Android applications are made of one or more components such as content providers, services, activities and broadcast receivers. Every component has its own role in the overall behavior of the application, and be accessed or executed individually by the application or even other applications [depending on permit availability].
Google Android SDK for Linux

Google Android SDK for Linux

Android SDK is the program that provides you the developer tools and API libraries you need to test, debug and build applications for Android. Applications for Android are written in Java programming language. Android SDK tools compile the program code along with resource files and any other data into an archive of files with APK format known as the Android package. Android SDK for Linux systems has been tested on Lucid Lynx and Ubuntu Linux. It requires GNU C Library [glic] 2.7 or later. It requires version 8.04 on Ubuntu Linux. 64-bit distributions should be able to run 32-bit applications. Some Linux distributions may support GNU Compiler for Java [gcj] or JDK 1.4. Both are not supported by development for Android. All the codes in an APK file are considered one program, and it is the file used by Android-powered devices to install the program. Once installed, every application lives on its own security sandbox. The operating system of Android is a multiuser Linux program wherein every application is considered a different user. The system assigns a unique Linux user ID to each application [unknown to the user and used by the system alone]. The system sets a permit for all files in the application so that only the corresponding user ID assigned to that application can access them. This means that an application runs independent of other applications because each application has its own VM [virtual machine]. Every program, by default, operates its own Linux process. Android begins the operation when one of the application’s components has to be executed, then stops the operation when no longer needed or when system has to recover memory for other programs. This is Android’s “principle of least privilege”. The application can only access components that will do the job needed and nothing else. This provides system security as the application cannot access components without system permit. But an application can share data with other applications and access system services through a couple of ways. Two applications can be possibly arranged to share a Linux user ID for them to access each other’s components. Applications sharing the same ID must run with the same Linux process, share the same virtual machine [VM], and have the same certificate to save system resources. Another way is for the application to request for a permit to access device data like SMS messages, contacts, SD card or mountable storage, camera, etc. The user must grant all application permits during installation time.

a word of warning

Be careful not to rename the extension on .ab files, or any other files. This will not change the file type. Only special conversion software can change a file from one file type to another.

what is a file extension?

A file extension is the set of three or four characters at the end of a filename; in this case, .ab. File extensions tell you what type of file it is, and tell Windows what programs can open it. Windows often associates a default program to each file extension, so that when you double-click the file, the program launches automatically. When that program is no longer on your PC, you can sometimes get an error when you try to open the associated file.
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