Question

I am creating a decompiler from IL (Compiled C#\VB code). Is there any way to create reference in C?

Edit:
I want something faster than pointer like stack. Is there a thing like that?

Answer 1

Stack and pointer are two completely independent concepts.

A reference is just like a pointer, a way to access/pass a variable without copying it.
On the other hand, stack and heap are two different places where variables live.
The decision whether or not a variable should live on the stack or on the heap is totally independent from the way you pass it around.

• If you need a local variable, with a lifetime automatically coupled to your function scope declare it on the stack. Allocation is fast, but the object is gone when the function scope ends. Taking this into account, you can pass the variable by value or by pointer to other functions.
• If you need a variable that survives the function scope, you need to make it global (or static), or to put the variable dynamically on the heap. Allocation is a bit slower, but once it’s there you can use it like the other. You can pass it by value or by pointer then, either. (Bear in mind, that you need to de-allocate dynamically created objects eventually.)

If heap allocation is indeed a performance bottleneck, you should make sure that you use automatic variables (on stack) where possible. Then, do profiling of your allocation patterns. And finally optimize your allocation strategy.