Intermediate language

In computer science, an intermediate language is the language of an abstract machine designed to aid in the analysis of computer programs. The term comes from their use in compilers, where a compiler first translates a program into a form more suitable for code-improving transformations as an intermediate step prior to generating code for the target machine. The design of an intermediate language typically differs from that of a practical machine language in several fundamental ways:

• Each instruction represents exactly one fundamental operation; e.g. "shift-add" addressing modes common in microprocessors are not present,
• The number of registers available may be large (perhaps limitless)
• Flow-of-control information may or may not be included within the instruction set.

A popular format for intermediate languages is three address code.