Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!lll-winken!ames!uhccux!tholen From: tholen@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu (David Tholen) Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran Subject: Re: Array dilemma. Summary: how about OS/2? Message-ID: <11072@uhccux.uhcc.Hawaii.Edu> Date: 23 Jan 91 18:51:32 GMT References: Distribution: comp Organization: University of Hawaii Lines: 31 In article , quan@sol.surv.utas.oz (Stephen Quan) writes: > Cause of problem DOUBLE PRECISION BIG(3,50000) > Current Compiler Microsoft Fortran. > > Question 1 Will F77L handle this problem? > Question 3 Is there a compiler that would solve this problem? [the above was heavily edited] Our machine also bounced mail with "Host unknown", so I'm resorting to a posting. I don't think mail to Australia has ever gone through for me. Anyway... It's my understanding that Lahey's F77L is limited to the available memory in a 640 kbyte maximum DOS world. Given the space consumed by the operating system, you can probably manage at most around 600 kbytes for data, and probably less depending on the size of your code. So, in answer to Question 1, I don't think F77L will handle your problem. Joe White suggested getting a 386 and a protected-mode compiler. While this will work, it's an expensive way to go. If your current compiler is version 5.0 or 4.1, and if your machine is a 286 or better, then switching to OS/2 will do the job for a lot less money. The current Microsoft FORTRAN can create an array almost 16 Mbytes in size on an OS/2 machine, enough to easily swallow your 1.2 Mbyte BIG array. So the answer to Question 3 is yes, and you've already got the compiler for the job (just not the right operating system). And with OS/2 version 2.0 and 32-bit compilers around the corner, these DOS-extender protected-mode compilers will be given a run for their money.