The Howdy Glossary

C Intermediate Language (CIL) is a structured representation of C programs that acts as an intermediary step in the process of analysis and transformation. It converts ANSI-C code into a higher-level language to facilitate tasks such as program verification, optimization, symbolic execution, abstract interpretation, and type checking. By offering semantic annotations that are more abstract than assembly language, CIL simplifies the manipulation of source code before generating machine-level instructions.

Developed by George Necula and his team at the University of California, Berkeley, CIL was intended to aid compiler research and various projects focused on program verification and optimization. This intermediate representation is unique due to its ability to balance high-level abstraction with detailed analysis capabilities. This makes it particularly suitable for intricate transformations on C programs while maintaining ease of use for researchers and developers working extensively with C code.

In comparison to other tools like LLVM Intermediate Representation (IR) and Microsoft's Common Intermediate Language (MSIL), CIL specializes in representing C programs specifically for tasks related to compiler research and optimization. While LLVM IR supports multiple languages within its versatile framework, Microsoft's MSIL caters primarily to the .NET platform focusing on cross-language integration. Each tool has distinct strengths based on their design philosophies; however, CIL's specialized focus grants it a competitive edge in efficiently handling tasks specific to analyzing and transforming C programs through semantic annotations at an intermediate level.