How to debug with obfuscated (with ProGuard) applications on Android?

Question

When I got something like this

ERROR/AndroidRuntime(18677): Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
ERROR/AndroidRuntime(18677):     at com.companyname.a.a         


        

Answer 1

To make use of any stack traces from your Android Market account, you can use your map file, produced with the-printmapping option in the ProGuard config, with ReTrace (ProGuard companion tool) to decode the stack trace. You can also decode by hand using the contents of the map file, but this is tedious.

In the ProGuard Manual under examples, there is a section about producing useful obfuscated stack traces including how to keep line numbers.

Unfortunately if you did not set the ProGuard to keep the line numbers, then you will only be able to identify the method that throws the exception.