| # 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. |
