Lexicon Entry
Intermediate Representation (IR)
A compiler's internal representation of a program, sitting between the source language and target machine code. Designed to be language-independent and target-independent.
Related Knowledge & Cross-References
Guide
Apr 5, 2026
The Ultimate Guide to Compiler Optimization Passes: Boosting Performance with -O2
You’ve been there. You write a complex calculation in C, compile it, and it feels a bit sluggish. You open your `Makefile`, add `-O2` to your `CFLAGS`, recompile, and suddenly your program is executing three times faster. But what actually is the compiler doing under the hood? Is it magic? Is it just removing debug…
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Guide
Apr 3, 2026
LLVM IR Tutorial: The Hidden Language Between Your C Code and Assembly
Master LLVM IR in this hands-on tutorial. Learn SSA form, basic blocks, and PHI nodes with real Clang output and Godbolt examples — from C to IR to x86-64 and ARM64.
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