What does intermediate code provide in programming languages?

Intermediate code serves a crucial role in programming languages by acting as a bridge between high-level source code and low-level machine code. One significant advantage of this approach is that it makes both the language and the compiler machine-independent. This means that the intermediate code can be executed on different machine architectures without needing to change the high-level source code or the compiler's logic significantly.

By producing an intermediate code representation, compilers can translate high-level constructs into a form that can be optimized and translated into various machine languages later. This flexibility is particularly valuable in environments where portability is essential; developers can write their programs once and compile them for different hardware platforms without modifying the original source code.

While optimizations can be made to intermediate code, its primary function is not to provide performance enhancements directly but rather to facilitate the compilation process across diverse systems. Simplifying syntax rules and providing high-level abstractions for debugging are secondary outcomes that may occur but do not encapsulate the primary advantage of machine independence that intermediate code offers.