| # Ahead Of Time (AOT) compilation for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) | |
| Ahead Of Time (AOT) compilation build tools such as those provided by | |
| [GraalVM's `native-image`](https://www.graalvm.org/reference-manual/native-image/) | |
| can require some configuration when using protobuf. Protobuf for the JVM uses | |
| reflection, and some of its target classes are not possible to determine in | |
| advance. This situation is unlikely to change. | |
| [The Lite version of protobuf for the JVM](https://github.com/protocolbuffers/protobuf/blob/main/java/lite.md) | |
| avoids reflection and may be better suited for use with AOT compilation tooling. | |
| This Lite version was originally targeted for use on Android which has similar | |
| AOT compilation goals as GraalVM's native-image tool. | |
| ## GraalVM native-image | |
| The GraalVM `native-image` tool can be configured with options for the \ | |
| [Java Native Interface](https://www.graalvm.org/22.0/reference-manual/native-image/JNI/) | |
| (JNI), http proxying, reflection, and other resources. While these configuration | |
| options can be manually specified in JSON files, we recommend that you exercise | |
| the application with | |
| [the assisted configuration agent](https://www.graalvm.org/reference-manual/native-image/BuildConfiguration/#assisted-configuration-of-native-image-builds). | |
| The agent will generate native-image.properties files that you add to the | |
| project's META-INF/native-image/ directory. The Native Image builder uses | |
| configuration options provided in META-INF/native-image/ to construct | |
| native-image command line arguments. |