# AOT Testing Guide

This directory contains scripts for building and testing the Htmx.ApiDemo application with Ahead-of-Time (AOT) compilation enabled. AOT compilation helps identify potential trimming issues that may occur at runtime.

## Directory Structure

```
Testing/
└── AOT/
    ├── build-aot.ps1       # Windows PowerShell script
    ├── build-aot.sh        # Linux/POP_OS bash script
    ├── Publish/            # Output directory (created during build)
    └── README.md           # This file
```

## Prerequisites

- .NET SDK (version 10.0 or later)
- For Windows: PowerShell 5.1 or later
- For Linux/POP_OS: Bash shell

## Usage

### Windows (PowerShell)

**Build and Run:**
```powershell
.\build-aot.ps1
```

**Build Only:**
```powershell
.\build-aot.ps1 -BuildOnly
```

**Run Only (if already built):**
```powershell
.\build-aot.ps1 -RunOnly
```

### Linux/POP_OS (Bash)

Make the script executable first:
```bash
chmod +x build-aot.sh
```

**Build and Run:**
```bash
./build-aot.sh
```

**Build Only:**
```bash
./build-aot.sh --build-only
```

**Run Only (if already built):**
```bash
./build-aot.sh --run-only
```

## What These Scripts Do

1. **Clean**: Removes any previous publish directory
2. **Build**: Publishes the application with the following AOT settings:
   - `PublishAot=true` - Enables AOT compilation
   - `TrimMode=link` - Uses link-time trimming
   - `PublishTrimmed=true` - Enables trimming
   - `SelfContained=true` - Creates a self-contained executable
   - Debug symbols are disabled for optimized output

3. **Run**: Launches the compiled application to test for any trimming-related issues

## Output

The compiled application and all dependencies are published to the `Testing/AOT/Publish` directory.

## Troubleshooting

### Build Failures

If the AOT build fails, check the error messages for:
- **Trimming issues**: Indicates code that cannot be safely trimmed
- **Reflection warnings**: APIs that use reflection may not work properly
- **Missing dependencies**: Required libraries that aren't properly configured

### Common Issues

1. **"Executable not found"**: The build may have failed silently. Check the build output for errors.
2. **Runtime crashes**: Trimming may have removed necessary code. Consider adding trimming configuration in your project file or using `[DynamicallyAccessedMembers]` attributes.

## Related Documentation

- [AOT Deployment](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/deploying/native-aot/)
- [Trimming .NET Applications](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/deploying/trimming/trim-self-contained)
- [Reflections and Trimming](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/deploying/trimming/trim-self-contained#reflections)