Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!ames!skipper!elxsi!maine From: maine@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov (Richard Maine) Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran Subject: Re: Fortran 9X replaced by Ada 9X ? Message-ID: Date: 13 Sep 90 19:04:24 GMT References: <1990Sep13.013750.24378@relay.wpd.sgi.com> Sender: news@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov Organization: NASA Dryden, Edwards, Cal. Lines: 40 In-reply-to: bean@putter.wpd.sgi.com's message of 13 Sep 90 01:37:50 GMT On 13 Sep 90 01:37:50 GMT, bean@putter.wpd.sgi.com (Bean Anderson) said: Bean> Obviously, those of us in the compiler business need to Bean> predict as accurately as possible what the customer base Bean> really wants (as opposed to what *we* think they need) in Bean> order to plan our future work. Bean> So, netland, what is the future for Fortran 9X? Is this Bean> argument just so much hogwash? Will Fortran live forever? (Hi Bean) Obviously a religious question, so let me be sure to say that my crystal ball is broken today. I don't know what "the people" will want, other than to be fairly confident that different ones of them will want different things. As for myself and myself only... I already have several thousand lines of Fortran 90 code. (No, I haven't yet found a compiler to start debugging it with). I experimented a bit with Ada, and though I liked some features a lot, I went back to Fortran for my work. I design in Fortran 90 for future code. Stuff that has to run today I code in Fortran 77. In some cases, I'm playing with doing initial design in Fortran 90 and then making "temporary" Fortran 77 versions based as much as feasible on the Fortran 90 design. I guess that answers your question for one user. I'll avoid going into the reasons for my feelings because. 1) I don't have time today to write a book and you don't want to read one anyway. 2) No sense in inviting too much religious war. Yes, others feel differently and, indeed, different answers may be better for them. --- -- Richard Maine maine@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov [130.134.64.6]