Compiled languages promises performance, but lack flexibility. Interpreted languages offer agility, but often at the cost of efficiency. AOT (Ahead-of-Time) and JIT (Just-in-Time) compilation provide alternative paths, each with its own set of strengths and weaknesses. Understanding these trade-offs is crucial in crafting a language that delivers both power and agility.
Compilers have followed two main approaches: Ahead-of-Time (AOT) and Just-in-Time (JIT) compilation. AOT pre-compiles the entire program before execution, resulting in fast startup times and platform-specific optimization. JIT, on the other hand, translates code on the fly, allowing for runtime adaptation and hot spot optimization, leading to significant performance gains over time.
Both AOT and JIT have their strengths and weaknesses, making them suitable for different scenarios. AOT shines in resource-constrained environments like embedded systems and mobile apps, while JIT excels in situations requiring dynamic code changes or high-performance computing.
Choosing between AOT and JIT is not a binary decision. Many languages offer hybrid approaches that leverage the strengths of both worlds. A common strategy is to perform AOT compilation for core libraries and frequently used code, while reserving JIT for less critical or dynamically changing portions of the program. This hybrid approach strikes a balance between predictable performance and flexible development.
I just started learning flutter for my upcoming offical work and somehow land on the article Why Flutter uses Dart and while reading this article, I found that Dart is actually able to perform AOT and JIT which enables it to start the flutter applications real quick on devices and also allows developers efficiency while providing features like Hot Reload. Hats off to the research team behind the language and this makes me to believe that when it comes to language design Google LLC. is at its best.
If you got some more time, Read the article to which the link has been given and I promise you would never underestimate the use case of a language.