What is "Microsoft Intermediate Language" (MSIL)?

A .NET programming language (C#, VB.NET, J# etc.) does not compile into executable code; instead it compiles into an intermediate code called Microsoft Intermediate Language (MSIL). As a programmer one need not worry about the syntax of MSIL - since our source code in automatically converted to MSIL. The MSIL code is then send to the CLR (Common Language Runtime) that converts the code to machine language, which is, then run on the host machine. MSIL is similar to Java Byte code.
MSIL is the CPU-independent instruction set into which .NET Framework programs are compiled. It contains instructions for loading, storing, initializing, and calling methods on objects.
Combined with metadata and the common type system, MSIL allows for true cross- language integration Prior to execution, MSIL is converted to machine code. It is not interpreted.
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samiksc

  • Jan 13th, 2006
 

MSIL is Microsoft Intermediate Language which is platform independent. Any .Net application is compiled in two steps -- first the high level language compiler compiles it into MSIL and then the CLR compiles IL code into native code.

It is because of MSIL that language independent code integration is possible. All languages are compiled into IL and then IL code is linked and converted to native code.

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