IL2C - A translator for ECMA-335 CIL/MSIL to C language.

May 19, 2019 · View on GitHub

What's this?

IL2C is a translator (transpiler) of ECMA-335 CIL/MSIL to C language.
We're aiming for:
- Better predictability of runtime costs
  Better human readability of C source code translated by IL2C.
- Very tiny footprint requirements
  We're thinking about how to fit from large system with many resources to tiny embedded system. (KB order for the non-OSes system)
- Better code/runtime portability
  Minimum requirement is only C99 compiler. The runtime minimum requires only the heap, CAS instructions, (POSIX) signal and setjmp/longjmp. Additional better feature is threading API (Win32, pthreads and FreeRTOS.)
- Better interoperabilities for existed C libraries
  You can use the standard .NET interop technics (like P/Invoke.)
- Containing seamless building systems for major C toolkits
  for example: CMake system, Arduino IDE, VC++ ...

Simple hello-world like code

Original C# source code:

public static class HelloWorld
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        Console.WriteLine("Hello world with IL2C!");
    }
}

Translated to C source code (all comments are stripped):

IL2C_CONST_STRING(string0__, L"Hello world with IL2C!");

void HelloWorld_Main()
{
    struct
    {
        const IL2C_EXECUTION_FRAME* pNext__;
        const uint16_t objRefCount__;
        const uint16_t valueCount__;
        System_String* stack0_0__;
    } frame__ = { NULL, 1, 0 };
    il2c_link_execution_frame(&frame__);

    frame__.stack0_0__ = string0__;
    System_Console_WriteLine_10(frame__.stack0_0__);
    il2c_unlink_execution_frame(&frame__);
    return;
}

View with comments / other sample translation results (contain complex results)

Getting started

IL2C current status is experimental, read a simple "Getting started" for first step.

If you need understanding deep knowledge for IL2C, see "Inside IL2C" .

Project status

Following lists are auto-generated by unit test.

Supported features (old)

Packages

Packages	master	devel
IL2C.Build
IL2C.Interop
IL2C.Core
IL2C.Runtime
IL2C.Runtime.msvc
IL2C.Runtime.Arduino	(Constructing)	(Constructing)

Build status

Configuration	master
Publish
Debug
Release

Configuration	devel
Publish
Debug
Release

License

Under Apache v2.

Slide: Making archive IL2C
- Covers overall information about internal IL2C.
- #6-52 session in dotNET 600 2018 conference.
Slide: Write common, run anywhere
- #6-51 session in dotNET 600 2017 conference
- Session video (Japanese)
Polish notation calculator: Minimum, but useful impls for "Win32", "UEFI" and "M5Stack(ESP32)"
Slide: How to make the calculator / Making archive IL2C
- #6-52 session in .NET Fringe Japan 2018
Slide: Making archive IL2C
- #6-53 session in MVP Summit F# Meetup / SEATTLE F# USERS GROUP
Slide: Making archive IL2C
- #6-54 session in Microsoft MVP Global Summit 2018 – VS HACKATHON"
Session video (Japanese): "Making archive IL2C play list"
- "How to create IL2C or a tool similar to IL2CPP? You see just the pure design process includes the concept."
- #1 session in Center CLR #6
Video letter (Japanese): Tested IL2C on micro:bit and arduino platform
Session video (Japanese): Making archive IL2C
- #6-28 session in .NET Conf 2017 in Tokyo Room B
Milestone 2+ informations (Japanese): Extensive Xamarin - Xamaritans
- included in the booklet "Extensive Xamarin - Techbook Fest part 3"

Photos of design process

#6-6: Near milestones
#6-14: Data flow analysis
Milestone 1: Test on VC++ and check how C compiler's optimizer works.
#6-48: How mark-and-sweep garbage collection works on a translated code.
How overload/override/virtual method symbol calculus work.
How to translate exception handlers when combined the local unwind and global unwind.
- We are thinking about at Center CLR Try! development meetup (11/10/2018, Japanese)
This is the strcuture graph for the exection-frame and exception-frame.