Ahead-of-Time Compilation
Compilation performed before application execution, producing target code or a native image rather than relying only on runtime compilation.
JVM Runtime Context
Ahead-of-time compilation produces target code before normal application execution, which can improve startup behavior and deployment predictability. The trade-off is that the compiler may have less opportunity to optimize from live runtime profiles, although modern systems can combine AOT metadata, profile-guided compilation, and later runtime optimization.
Runtime Boundary
AOT does not necessarily mean a standalone native image, and the behavior of dynamic loading, reflection, metadata discovery, and deoptimization depends on the implementation.
Related JVM Concepts
- Just-In-Time Compilation
- Native Image
- GraalVM
- Profile-Guided Optimization