Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!dptg!rutgers!apple!sun-barr!newstop!sun!road!khb From: khb@road.Sun.COM (Keith Bierman - Advanced Languages - Floating Point Group ) Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran Subject: Re: Two Fortran Standards Message-ID: <124012@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> Date: 31 Aug 89 02:24:36 GMT References: <282@unmvax.unm.edu> <303@unmvax.unm.edu> <1598@convex.UUCP> <123897@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> <1624@convex.UUCP> <123964@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> <1631@convex.UUCP> Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM Reply-To: khb@sun.UUCP (Keith Bierman - Advanced Languages - Floating Point Group ) Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View Lines: 77 In article <1631@convex.UUCP> psmith@convex.com (Presley Smith) writes: >>> horror stories about using f8x with f77 existing code ... >> > >I said: "To use the new facilities, YOU will have to modify and, >in some cases, rewrite your code." I don't believe that translates >to "horror stories about using f8x with f77 exiting code..." > >If you are going to respond to what I said, please at lease quote what >I said correctly!!!! As per the "rules" promulgated by the net I tried to abbreviate several paragraphs into a single sentence. I trust most net readers to understand the process. > >What I said corresponds very well with what you said: > >>The only changes necessary were to >>the variable declarations. No changes to the body of the code was >>required. > >You DID have to change the code! You did NOT have to rewrite the code. My users did not have to change THEIR code. That is the point. All of the new features were completely hidden to those who did not wish to partake. This allows evolutionary code development. >>>instead. >> >>Those of us who have tried the exercise see a good slowdown from 20% >>to 500% depending on machine. >> > >Sounds like you have a problem in your compilers. We see no slowdown It has been a bit since I did the experiment on your hardware, but as reccently as a year ago this was quite true on convex gear. There are, in fact, semantics which if properly maintained reduce the optimizability of C. The convex compiler, at high enough optimization levels (like many other machines ... soon perhaps suns :>) cheerfully breaks C semantics. >We have customers who are very successfully using Ada in "mathmetical >programming." In fact Ada math libraries are available from several >companies including QTC in Oregon that work quite well. I do not assert that it is impossible, it simply does not solve any problem not solved better by f8x. The key difference is that, as described above, f8x allows gradual migration. Conversion of a project to Ada requires a very hefty investment. >> >I don't believe that Fortran 8x solves the realtime problems... What >in Fortran 8x addresses the realtime problem? f8x doesn't ... but that isn't why f8x was designed. Ada was explicitly designed to be employed in real-time embedded systems. While Ada is a good language, it isn't all that hot for the application area it was chartered to work in. >..... >language, is suitable for writing device drivers? Why would we WANT >FORTRAN to be suitable for writing device drivers??? I don't think f8x is suitable for device drivers. I never asserted that it was. I suggest you take your own advice about reading more into the message than is there. Keith H. Bierman |*My thoughts are my own. !! kbierman@sun.com It's Not My Fault | MTS --Only my work belongs to Sun* I Voted for Bill & | Advanced Languages/Floating Point Group Opus | "When the going gets Weird .. the Weird turn PRO"