Most of us, at some point or another, have dug down into our build.prop files in search of some elusive field to tweak in order to optimize our mobile devices. For many, this means to simply change the LCD.density flag to display more or less information per screen, but for others, this can take the form of more performance-oriented parameters such as dalvik.vm.heapsize.

Previously, editing the build.prop was not exactly the most user-friendly affair. One would have to either use adb commands to modify the file or access it through a root-enabled file manager, such as the ones we've covered in the past. However, aside from being a bit more of a hassle than a dedicated editor, these are potentially a bit more risky because a wrong setting or accidental deletion could prove unfavorable.

In order to alleviate this, XDA Forum Member android_owl has come up with a build.prop editor that takes all the guesswork out of tweaking your mobile device. With a list of editable fields, and a clear explanation as to what they do, BuildProp Editor makes it easy for even novice tinkerers to get started. Now, we've covered a dedicated build.prop editor on the Portal in the past, but this release builds on the previous offering by providing a field-by-field explanation.

In the words of the developer:

What is this tool used for?

This tool allows you to modify your build.prop file easily on your device. It makes editing easy and you don't have to take care about remounting stuff or read/write permissions. It also features descriptions which contain information about the property. A great tool for both: beginners and advanced users. It can be used to test a variety of properties on your device or even tweak it, but be warned: You've to know what you're doing! If the phone doesn't boot after a reboot, the initial backup of your device can be found at: /data/data/de.bwulfert.buildpropedit/build.prop

If you're not already bursting with excitement to give this a shot, you may want to get your pulse checked. For those of us still alive, please head over to the application thread.