Application update method and apparatus

A computing device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• memory;
• and
• a plurality of instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
• detecting that an application client is started at the computing device, wherein the application client comprises a current version and includes one or more dex class files in the current version;
• in response to detecting that the application client is started at the computing device, determining whether an application patch file package exists for the application client locally at the computing device, wherein:
• the application patch file package is generated by an application server and downloaded to the computing device prior to the starting of the application client;
• the application patch file package corresponds to an updated version of the application client;
• and
• the updated version of the application client includes one or more dex class files, each dex class file having an identical class name as a corresponding dex class file in the current version of the application client and having modified content from the corresponding dex class file;
• in accordance with a determination that the application patch file package exists for the application client locally at the computing device:
• invoking a DexClassLoader to load the one or more dex class files included in the updated version of the application client and the one or more corresponding dex class files in the current version of the application client, including traversing, in sequence, the one or more dex class files in the application patch file package and inserting, into the application client, each of the one or more dex class files having a respective identical class name in front of each of existing dex class files of a corresponding application component in the current version of the application client having the respective identical class name;
• and
• initializing the application client by (i) invoking each of the one or more dex class files having the respective class name and corresponding to the updated version of the application client and (ii) bypassing invocation of the corresponding dex class files in the current version of the application client having the identical class name.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions configured for execution by a computing device having one or more processors, wherein the plurality of instructions cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• detecting that an application client is started at the computing device, wherein the application client comprises a current version and includes one or more dex class files in the current version;
• in response to detecting that the application client is started at the computing device, determining whether an application patch file package exists for the application client locally at the computing device, wherein:
• the application patch file package is generated by an application server and downloaded to the computing device prior to the starting of the application client;
• the application patch file package corresponds to an updated version of the application client;
• and
• the updated version of the application client includes one or more dex class files, each dex class file having an identical class name as a corresponding dex class file in the current version of the application client and having modified content from the corresponding dex class file;
• in accordance with a determination that the application patch file package exists for the application client locally at the computing device:
• invoking a DexClassLoader to load the one or more dex class files included in the updated version of the application client and the one or more corresponding dex class files in the current version of the application client, including traversing, in sequence, the one or more dex class files in the application patch file package and inserting, into the application client, each of the one or more dex class files having a respective identical class name in front of each of existing dex class files of a corresponding application component in the current version of the application client having the respective identical class name;
• and
• initializing the application client by (i) invoking each of the one or more dex class files having the respective class name and corresponding to the updated version of the application client and (ii) bypassing invocation of the corresponding dex class files in the current version of the application client having the identical class name.