[record_use] Implementation: JSON: Definition loading unit should be removed

Currently, we serialize the loading unit with the definition:

  "recordings": [
    {
      "definition": {
        "identifier": {
          "name": "someStaticMethod2",
          "scope": "SomeClass",
          "uri": "basic.dart"
        },
        "loading_unit": "1"
      },
      "calls": [
        {
          "@": 0,
          "loading_unit": "1",
          "positional": [
            0
          ],
          "type": "with_arguments"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]

This doesn't really make sense. Instead we should say a definition has uses, and a definition ends up in a loading unit, two different maps. (And the Dart API should probably reflect that too: Two different queries: give me the calls to this definition, and give me the loading unit this definition ended up in.)

  "definitions": [
      "identifier": {
        "name": "someStaticMethod2",
        "scope": "SomeClass",
        "uri": "basic.dart"
      }
  ],
  "loading_units": {
    "0": "1"
  },
  "recordings": [
    {
      "definition": 0,
      "calls": [
        {
          "@": 0,
          "loading_unit": "1",
          "positional": [
            0
          ],
          "type": "with_arguments"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]

@biggs0125

Notes from discussion with @biggs0125:

Definition loading units are not useful in the dart2js situation. If you have two calls from different loading units, you want to postpone loading the asset until one of those two loading units is loaded, not in the loading unit that is dominating those two loading units. (dart2js will use the cached asset when the second loading unit is loaded.)
- So, a link hook outputting assets should then output a list of loading units an asset is used in.
- Whether to package an asset in the dominating loading unit could be a decision of the SDK/embedder. Flutter might actually prefer shipping an asset in the dominating loading unit.

[record_use] Remove definition loading unit (dart-lang#3061)

[record_use] Stop recording definition loading units

[record_use] Remove definition loading unit (dart-lang#3061)

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[record_use] Implementation: JSON: Definition loading unit should be removed #2986

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[record_use] Implementation: JSON: Definition loading unit should be removed #2986

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dcharkes commented on Jan 28, 2026

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