Definition of Generics

This article is about computer software. For related uses of the word, see Generic.

In the GNU Compiler Collection, GENERIC is an intermediate representation common to all the front-ends of GCC. The middle-end of GCC, starting with the GENERIC representation and ending after the expansion to RTL, contains all the optimizers and analyzers working independently of the compiled language and independently of the target architecture.

Generic means pertaining or appropriate to large classes or groups as opposed to specific members of the group. It may refer to:

• Generic mood, a grammatical mood used to make generalized statements like Snow is white
• Generic antecedents, referents in linguistic contexts, which are classes.
• Generic role-playing game system, a framework that provides rule mechanics for any setting—world or environment or genre
• Generic drug, a drug identified by its chemical name rather than its brand name