A compilation approach where source code is translated directly into native machine code before the program runs, producing executable files that don't need a runtime environment.
Contrasts with 'just-in-time' compilation, emphasizing that the work is done 'ahead of time' - before execution. This traditional approach dominated early computing (1950s-60s) and resurged with modern tools like GraalVM Native Image.
It's like meal prepping on Sunday for the whole week - you do all the hard work of compilation upfront, so when it's time to run your program, it starts instantly without any cooking (compilation) delays. This is why native apps often start faster than Java programs!
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