Production of optimised machine-code for high-level languages using machine-independent intermediate codes

Abstract

The aim of this work was to investigate the problems associated with using machine-independent intermediate codes in the translation from a high-level language into machine code, with emphasis on minimising code size and providing good run-time diagnostic capabilities. The main result was a machine-independent intermediate code, I-code, which has been used successfully to develop optimising and diagnostic compilers for the IMP77 language on a large number of different computer systems. In addition, the work has been used to lay the foundations for a project to develop an intermediate code for portable SIMULA compilers. The major conclusions of the research were that carefully designed machine-independent intermediate codes can be used to generate viable optimising and diagnostic compilers, and that the commonality introduced into different code generators processing the code for different machines simplifies the tasks of creating new compilers and maintaining old ones.