| # 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. |
