Intermediate code generation is a crucial phase in the compilation process where the source program is translated into an intermediate representation. This intermediate code is machine-independent, which enhances portability and simplifies the process of generating machine code for different target machines¹².

Key Principles

The primary purpose of intermediate code generation is to bridge the gap between the high-level source code and the low-level machine code. This phase comes between the front end and the back end of the compiler. The front end translates the source code into intermediate code, and the back end uses this intermediate code to generate the target machine code¹³.

Common Intermediate Code Representations