Bril: A Compiler Intermediate Representation for Learning

Bril, the Big Red Intermediate Language, is a programming language for learning about compilers. It’s the intermediate representation we use in CS 6120, a PhD-level compilers course. Bril’s design tenets include:

• Bril is an instruction-oriented language, like most good IRs.
• The core is minimal and ruthlessly regular. Extensions make it interesting.
• The tooling is language agnostic. Bril programs are just JSON.
• Bril is typed.

See the language reference for the complete language specification and the tool documentation for details on the “batteries included” monorepo.