What is just-in-time vs ahead-of-time in Java?

In the world of Java, the terms Just-In-Time (JIT) and Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) refer to two different compilation strategies that optimize performance. Below is a brief explanation of each:

Just-In-Time Compilation (JIT)

JIT compilation is a runtime process where the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) compiles bytecode into native machine code while the program is running. This approach allows for optimizations based on the actual execution context, potentially improving performance for frequently executed paths in the code.

Ahead-Of-Time Compilation (AOT)

AOT compilation, on the other hand, compiles the bytecode into native machine code before the program is executed. This can lead to faster startup times since the program does not need to compile the bytecode at runtime. However, it may miss some optimizations that JIT compilation can perform when running the code.

Example

// Example code illustrating JIT vs AOT public class Example { public static void main(String[] args) { System.out.println("Hello, World!"); } }

Just-In-Time Ahead-Of-Time Java JIT AOT Java Virtual Machine Compilation