dotnet-aot-architecture

AOT-first application design patterns for .NET 8+: preferring source generators over reflection, explicit DI registration over assembly scanning, AOT-safe serialization choices, library compatibility assessment, and factory patterns replacing Activator.CreateInstance.

Version assumptions: .NET 8.0+ baseline. Patterns apply to all AOT-capable project types (console, ASP.NET Core Minimal APIs, worker services).

Scope

• Source generator replacements for reflection patterns
• AOT-safe DI patterns (explicit registration, keyed services)
• Serialization choices for AOT (STJ source gen, Protobuf, MessagePack)
• Factory patterns replacing Activator.CreateInstance
• Library compatibility assessment for AOT
• AOT application architecture template

Out of scope

• Native AOT publish pipeline and MSBuild configuration -- see [skill:dotnet-native-aot]
• Trim-safe library authoring and annotations -- see [skill:dotnet-trimming]