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From: userAKDU@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA (Al Dunbar)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.misc
Subject: Re: Fortran vs. C for numerical work
Message-ID: <1980@mts.ucs.UAlberta.CA>
Date: 1 Dec 90 17:25:17 GMT
References: <2392:Nov2902:59:0590@kramden.acf.nyu.edu> <7339@lanl.gov> <1990Nov30.145649.17688@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <1990Nov30.163613.9562@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>
Organization: MTS Univ of Alberta
Lines: 58

In article <1990Nov30.163613.9562@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>, mroussel@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Marc Roussel) writes:
>     I think I'm pretty typical of Fortran users.  I know Fortran and a
>smattering of other languages.  I use Fortran mostly because
>
>     a) I can write code quickly in this language.
>     b) Compilers exist for it on any machine I'm ever likely to use.
>
>     I don't want to use C.  From what little I've been exposed to it, I
>don't like it.  C has a nasty syntax which I don't have time to learn.
>Now everybody who's been trying to convince scientific programmers like
>me to learn C, go away!  Maybe you have the time to waste, but I don't.
>     Every algorithm I've ever used is expressible in Fortran.  (I've
>even written algorithms that create trees in Fortran using no
>extensions other than recursion... That's right, no pointers, just good
>old arrays.)  If ever I run across a problem that I can't code in
>Fortran, then I'll consider other languages.  When the time comes, I may
>even ask some of you what language you think is appropriate.  Until
>then, I don't want your silly-ass opinion.  If you want to compare
>languages, do it on comp.lang.misc where someone cares (notice the
>followup-to line).
 
Before this guy gets (justifiably) toasted in flames, it would be
worth considering that part of the reason he holds such
inflammable views is that there is a lot of language chauvinism
on all sides of the "my language is better than yours" war. This
is obviously part of our nature, as you could substitute "my
religion" or "my skin colour" for "my language", and explain most
of the world's problems.
 
What is really unfortunate is, that this guy has formed an
opinion about "C" without having the chance to be really
objective about it.
 
>     Look, if someone out there can suggest a computer language that's
>easy to learn and code in and that has the sort of widespread base that
>Fortran does, I'll listen.  C just isn't for scientific programmers
>like me so it's no use trying to convince me (and probably 90% of the
>rest of the readership of this group) otherwise.  No one sensible would
>say that Fortran is the best language for everything, but it's a more
>than adequate language for most scientific computing.
>     While I'm at it, I sincerely hope that some cleaner language like
>Turing wipes C off the face of this planet.  I've about had it with all
>this "my language is better than yours" garbage from the C folk and can
>wish nothing for them other than extinction.
>
>                                Marc R. Roussel
>                                mroussel@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca
 
If you don't like the "m.l.i.b.t.y" wars, why did you join in
with such fervour? Give yourself a break and take the chip off
your shoulder for a while.
 
 
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Al Dunbar          |
Edmonton, Alberta  |  "this mind left intentionally blank"
CANADA             |          - Manuel Writer
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