AOT Publishing Guide

What is .NET AOT

.NET AOT (Ahead-of-Time) compilation compiles .NET applications directly into native code at build time. Unlike traditional JIT (Just-in-Time) compilation, AOT converts IL code into platform-specific native machine code during publishing.

Benefits of AOT

Benefit	Description
Fast Startup	No JIT compilation required; significantly reduces startup time
Low Memory	Removes JIT compiler and IL code, reducing memory footprint
Small Deployment	Contains only necessary runtime code; generates a single executable
No Runtime Required	Target machine does not require .NET Runtime installation
Better Security	Native code is more difficult to reverse engineer than IL

How WebApiClientCore Supports AOT

Traditional WebApiClientCore relies on runtime reflection to create interface proxy classes, which is not feasible in AOT environments because:

1. Trimming - AOT publishing trims unused code; reflection-related type information may be lost
2. No JIT - The runtime cannot dynamically generate proxy class code

To address these issues, WebApiClientCore provides Source Generator support to generate proxy class code at compile time.

Architecture Comparison

Source Generator Mechanism

Proxy Class Generation

The WebApiClientCore.Analyzers package contains a Source Generator that:

1. Scans Interfaces - Finds all interfaces inheriting from IHttpApi
2. Generates Proxy Classes - Creates an implementation class for each interface
3. Registers Initializers - Uses [ModuleInitializer] to automatically register proxy class types

Generated Code Example

For the following interface:

public interface IUserApi : IHttpApi
{
    [HttpGet("api/users/{id}")]
    Task<User> GetAsync(string id);
}

The Source Generator will produce code similar to:

// HttpApiProxyClass.IUserApi.g.cs
namespace WebApiClientCore
{
    partial class HttpApiProxyClass
    {
        [HttpApiProxyClass(typeof(IUserApi))]
        sealed partial class IUserApi : IUserApi
        {
            private readonly IHttpApiInterceptor _apiInterceptor;
            private readonly ApiActionInvoker[] _actionInvokers;

            public IUserApi(IHttpApiInterceptor apiInterceptor, ApiActionInvoker[] actionInvokers)
            {
                _apiInterceptor = apiInterceptor;
                _actionInvokers = actionInvokers;
            }

            [HttpApiProxyMethod(0, "GetAsync", typeof(IUserApi))]
            Task<User> IUserApi.GetAsync(string p0)
            {
                return (Task<User>)_apiInterceptor.Intercept(_actionInvokers[0], new object[] { p0 });
            }
        }
    }
}

ModuleInitializer Registration

The generated initialization code ensures proxy class types are preserved during AOT trimming:

// HttpApiProxyClass.g.cs
static partial class HttpApiProxyClass
{
    [ModuleInitializer]
    [DynamicDependency(DynamicallyAccessedMemberTypes.All, typeof(HttpApiProxyClass))]
    public static void Initialize()
    {
    }
}

Project Configuration Steps

Prerequisites

.NET Version Requirements

• AOT Publishing: Requires .NET 8.0 or later (WebApiClientCore enables IsAotCompatible on the net8.0 and net10.0 targets)
• JSON Source Generator: PrependJsonSerializerContext method only supports .NET 8.0+
• Source Generator: Supports .NET Standard 2.1+ and .NET 5.0+

1. Add NuGet Package References

<ItemGroup>
    <!-- WebApiClientCore core package -->
    <PackageReference Include="WebApiClientCore" Version="2.1.6" />
    
    <!-- Source Generator package (must be referenced as Analyzer) -->
    <PackageReference Include="WebApiClientCore.Analyzers" Version="2.1.6" OutputItemType="Analyzer" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false" />
</ItemGroup>

2. Configure AOT Publishing Properties

Edit your .csproj file:

<PropertyGroup>
    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    
    <!-- Enable AOT publishing -->
    <PublishAot>true</PublishAot>
    
    <!-- Enable trimming (implicitly enabled by AOT, but explicit is clearer) -->
    <PublishTrimmed>true</PublishTrimmed>
    
    <!-- Optional: Invariant globalization mode (reduces size) -->
    <InvariantGlobalization>true</InvariantGlobalization>
    
    <!-- Optional: Enable single file publishing -->
    <!-- <PublishSingleFile>true</PublishSingleFile> -->
</PropertyGroup>

3. Complete Project File Example

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
    <PropertyGroup>
        <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
        <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
        <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
        <PublishAot>true</PublishAot>
        <PublishTrimmed>true</PublishTrimmed>
        <InvariantGlobalization>true</InvariantGlobalization>
    </PropertyGroup>

    <ItemGroup>
        <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting" Version="8.0.0" />
    </ItemGroup>

    <ItemGroup>
        <PackageReference Include="WebApiClientCore" Version="2.1.6" />
        <PackageReference Include="WebApiClientCore.Analyzers" Version="2.1.6" OutputItemType="Analyzer" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false" />
    </ItemGroup>
</Project>

JSON Source Generator Configuration

In AOT environments, System.Text.Json also requires using source generators to avoid reflection.

Create JsonSerializerContext Derived Class

using System.Text.Json.Serialization;

[JsonSerializable(typeof(User))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(User[]))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(Order))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(Order[]))]
// Add all JSON model types used in interfaces
public partial class AppJsonSerializerContext : JsonSerializerContext
{
}

Important Notes

• Must declare all JSON data types used in interfaces
• For collection types, declare both element type and collection type separately
• For generic types, declare each concrete generic parameter separately

// Example: Complete JSON type declarations
[JsonSerializable(typeof(User))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(User[]))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(List<User>))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(ApiResponse<User>))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(ApiResponse<List<User>>))]
public partial class AppJsonSerializerContext : JsonSerializerContext
{
}

WebApiClientCore Configuration

Register JSON Source Generation Context

Register JsonSerializerContext in dependency injection configuration:

using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;

services
    .AddWebApiClient()
    .ConfigureHttpApi(options =>
    {
        // Register JSON source generation context
        options.PrependJsonSerializerContext(AppJsonSerializerContext.Default);
    });

Complete Configuration Example

using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
            .ConfigureServices(services =>
            {
                // Configure WebApiClientCore
                services
                    .AddWebApiClient()
                    .ConfigureHttpApi(options =>
                    {
                        options.PrependJsonSerializerContext(AppJsonSerializerContext.Default);
                    });

                // Register HTTP API interface
                services.AddHttpApi<IUserApi>();
                
                // Register background service
                services.AddHostedService<AppService>();
            })
            .Build()
            .Run();
    }
}

Publishing Commands and Options

Basic Publishing Command

# Publish as AOT application for current platform
dotnet publish -c Release

# Specify target platform
dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64
dotnet publish -c Release -r linux-x64
dotnet publish -c Release -r osx-x64
dotnet publish -c Release -r osx-arm64

Common Publishing Options

# Complete publishing command example
dotnet publish -c Release -r linux-x64 \
    -p:PublishAot=true \
    -p:PublishTrimmed=true \
    -p:InvariantGlobalization=true \
    -p:StripSymbols=true \
    -p:OptimizationPreference=Speed

Publishing Options Explanation

Option	Description
-r <RID>	Target Runtime Identifier
-p:PublishAot=true	Enable AOT publishing
-p:PublishTrimmed=true	Enable trimming
-p:InvariantGlobalization=true	Use invariant globalization mode
-p:StripSymbols=true	Strip debug symbols (reduces size)
-p:OptimizationPreference=Speed	Optimize for speed (or Size)
-p:IlcOptimizationPreference=Speed	ILC compiler optimization preference

Viewing Generated Files

# Publishing output directory
bin/Release/net8.0/<RID>/publish/

# Main files:
# - <app_name> (executable)
# - <app_name>.pdb (debug symbols, if not stripped)

Complete Code Example

Project Structure

AppAot/
├── AppAot.csproj
├── Program.cs
├── AppJsonSerializerContext.cs
├── IUserApi.cs
├── User.cs
└── AppService.cs

Interface Definition

// IUserApi.cs
using WebApiClientCore.Attributes;

[LoggingFilter]
[HttpHost("https://api.example.com")]
public interface IUserApi
{
    [HttpGet("api/users/{id}")]
    Task<User> GetUserAsync(string id);

    [HttpPost("api/users")]
    Task<User> CreateUserAsync([JsonContent] User user);

    [HttpGet("api/users")]
    Task<User[]> ListUsersAsync();
}

Data Model

// User.cs
using System.Text.Json.Serialization;

public class User
{
    [JsonPropertyName("id")]
    public string Id { get; set; } = string.Empty;

    [JsonPropertyName("name")]
    public string Name { get; set; } = string.Empty;

    [JsonPropertyName("email")]
    public string? Email { get; set; }
}

JSON Source Generator

// AppJsonSerializerContext.cs
using System.Text.Json.Serialization;

[JsonSerializable(typeof(User))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(User[]))]
public partial class AppJsonSerializerContext : JsonSerializerContext
{
}

Main Program

// Program.cs
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;

class Program
{
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
            .ConfigureServices(services =>
            {
                services
                    .AddWebApiClient()
                    .ConfigureHttpApi(options =>
                    {
                        options.PrependJsonSerializerContext(AppJsonSerializerContext.Default);
                    });

                services.AddHttpApi<IUserApi>();
                services.AddHostedService<AppService>();
            })
            .Build()
            .Run();
    }
}

Background Service

// AppService.cs
using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;

class AppService : BackgroundService
{
    private readonly IServiceScopeFactory _scopeFactory;
    private readonly ILogger<AppService> _logger;

    public AppService(IServiceScopeFactory scopeFactory, ILogger<AppService> logger)
    {
        _scopeFactory = scopeFactory;
        _logger = logger;
    }

    protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
    {
        using var scope = _scopeFactory.CreateScope();
        var userApi = scope.ServiceProvider.GetRequiredService<IUserApi>();

        try
        {
            var users = await userApi.ListUsersAsync(stoppingToken);
            _logger.LogInformation("Retrieved {Count} users", users.Length);
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            _logger.LogError(ex, "API call failed");
        }
    }
}

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Proxy Class Not Found

Error: Cannot find proxy class for interface XXX

Cause: Source Generator not configured correctly or did not execute

Solution:

1. Ensure WebApiClientCore.Analyzers is referenced as Analyzer
2. Check .csproj has OutputItemType="Analyzer" ReferenceOutputAssembly="false"
3. Clean and rebuild: dotnet clean && dotnet build
4. Check compilation output for generated HttpApiProxyClass.*.g.cs files

Issue 2: JSON Serialization Fails

Error: JsonSerializerContext has not registered type XXX

Cause: Missing type declaration in JsonSerializerContext

Solution:

1. Add missing type declarations in AppJsonSerializerContext
2. Note that collection types need separate declarations
3. Generic types need declarations for each concrete parameter

// Wrong: Only declared User
[JsonSerializable(typeof(User))]

// Correct: Also declare collection types
[JsonSerializable(typeof(User))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(User[]))]
[JsonSerializable(typeof(List<User>))]

Issue 3: AOT Trimming Warnings

Error: ILTrim warnings or ILC warnings

Cause: Code uses patterns that are incompatible with AOT

Solution:

1. Use [DynamicallyAccessedMembers] attribute to annotate types accessed via reflection
2. Check for dynamic code generation usage (e.g., System.Reflection.Emit)
3. Use [UnconditionalSuppressMessage] to suppress known-safe warnings

Issue 4: Types Being Trimmed

Error: Types or members not found at runtime

Cause: The AOT trimmer removes types deemed unused

Solution:

1. Use [DynamicDependency] to preserve dependencies
2. Use [DynamicallyAccessedMembers] to annotate members to preserve
3. Configure trimming options in project file:

<ItemGroup>
    <!-- Preserve framework libraries during trimming -->
    <TrimmerRootAssembly Include="Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection" />
</ItemGroup>

Issue 5: Large Publishing Size

Cause: Unnecessary dependencies or debug information are included

Solution:

1. Enable InvariantGlobalization to reduce globalization data
2. Enable StripSymbols to strip debug symbols
3. Use OptimizationPreference=Size for size optimization
4. Review and remove unnecessary NuGet packages

<PropertyGroup>
    <InvariantGlobalization>true</InvariantGlobalization>
    <StripSymbols>true</StripSymbols>
    <OptimizationPreference>Size</OptimizationPreference>
</PropertyGroup>

AOT Limitations and Considerations

Feature Limitations

Limitation	Description	Alternative
No JIT Compilation	Runtime cannot generate new code	Use Source Generators
No Dynamic Loading	Cannot load external assemblies	Statically reference all dependencies
Limited Reflection	Some reflection operations are restricted	Use source generation or annotations
No COM Interop	Some COM scenarios not supported	Use P/Invoke instead
Cross-platform	Requires separate compilation per platform	CI/CD multi-target publishing

WebApiClientCore Specific Limitations

1. No Runtime Dynamic Interfaces - All IHttpApi interfaces must be defined at compile time
2. No Dynamic Attribute Modification - Attribute configuration must be finalized at compile time
3. JSON Serialization Requires Source Generation - Must use the System.Text.Json source generator
4. No Newtonsoft.Json Support - WebApiClientCore.Extensions.NewtonsoftJson is incompatible with AOT

Best Practices

1. Development Phase Testing

   • Test application functionality with dotnet run
   • Verify all API calls work correctly before AOT publishing

2. Pre-publish Checks

   • Check compilation warnings, especially ILTrim/ILC warnings
   • Test published application functionality
   • Verify JSON serialization/deserialization

3. Version Management

   • Keep WebApiClientCore and WebApiClientCore.Analyzers versions consistent
   • Version incompatibility will cause proxy class generation to fail

4. Debugging Tips

   • Use <PublishAot>false</PublishAot> to temporarily disable AOT for debugging
   • Check the generated code in the obj/Release/netX.X/generated/ directory

References

• .NET AOT Official Documentation
• System.Text.Json Source Generation
• Source Generators Overview
• Trimming .NET Applications