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From: zctsfisher@qut.edu.au
Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran
Subject: Re: Dates for the different versions of FORTRAN?
Message-ID: <13901.26caf59c@qut.edu.au>
Date: 16 Aug 90 19:35:56 GMT
References: <3093.26c6b1cd@cc.curtin.edu.au>
Organization: Queensland University of Technology
Lines: 46

In article <3093.26c6b1cd@cc.curtin.edu.au>, North_TJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (Tim North) writes:
> Hi,
> 	I'm running a class on various programming languages, and I'm doing a
> couple of lectures on FORTRAN. I'm not really sure of the different versions

As I remember a few things slightly differently from some who have
contributed I'll add my 2 cents worth.

I worked for ICT in 1966 and at that time I understood that strictly 
speaking the terms FORTRAN I, II, III and IV only applied to the 
compilers supplied by IBM at various times for their 704, 7040 and 
similar machines. The terms FORTRAN II and IV were commonly used by 
other manufacturers, including us, to indicate compilers with similar 
functionality and syntax to those IBM compilers.

FORTRAN II was a subset of FORTRAN IV in functionality but not in 
syntax. I know that some FORTRAN II statements had to be modified to be 
correct FORTRAN IV but this was always possible. FORTRAN II used 
specific output commands for different peripherals such as PRINT and 
PUNCH. I don't think these were considered correct FORTRAN IV which 
used the generic WRITE.

ANSI (then ASA) defined ASA FORTRAN, which was essentially a defined 
standard for FORTRAN IV, and ASA BASIC FORTRAN which had the same 
functionality as FORTRAN II but, unlike FORTRAN II, was a proper 
subset of ASA FORTRAN. In those days FORTRAN IV with its logical 
variables, logical IF statements and A Formats was considered far too 
complex a language for a small computer. For instance we commonly sold 
8K by 24 bit systems with an ASA BASIC FORTRAN compiler. You needed 16K 
to run our ASA FORTRAN compiler. It was ASA FORTRAN which later became 
known as ANSI FORTRAN-66.

At about the same time (1966/67) many computer companies started 
referring to their compilers as FORTRAN V which had no standard meaning 
other than that its supplier considered it superior to others.

W.J.G.(Bill) FISHER,
Director, Computing Services (Gardens Point),
Queensland University of Technology

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