Editing C (programming language) (section)

===C as an intermediate language===
C is sometimes used as an [[intermediate language]] by implementations of other languages. This approach may be used for portability or convenience; by using C as an intermediate language, additional machine-specific code generators are not necessary.  C has some features, such as line-number preprocessor directives and optional superfluous commas at the end of initializer lists, that support compilation of generated code. However, some of C's shortcomings have prompted the development of other [[C-based languages]] specifically designed for use as intermediate languages, such as [[C--]]. Also, contemporary major compilers [[GNU Compiler Collection|GCC]] and [[LLVM]] both feature an [[intermediate representation]] that is not C, and those compilers support front ends for many languages including C.