Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 5/3/83; site ukc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!cmcl2!floyd!vax135!ukc!trh
From: trh@ukc.UUCP (T.R.Hopkins)
Newsgroups: net.lang.f77
Subject: 4.2 f77 compiler comments
Message-ID: <4214@ukc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 31-May-84 13:01:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: ukc.4214
Posted: Thu May 31 13:01:30 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Jun-84 03:34:26 EDT
Organization: Computing Lab. Kent University, England
Lines: 34

<<
<< After the storm ....
<< The f77 that came with our 4.2 distribution tape was very buggy.
<< I've not kept up with the bug fixes for f77, but does anyone know if
<< there is a reliable, working and relatively safe version of the the
<< f77 compiler?   We are currently running the 4.1 version - it works
<< and we are happy - but we will switch to the 4.2 version if it produces
<< better code and IF IT IS RELIABLE.
<< 

I've been implementing the Numerical Algorithm's Group (NAG) Library
of numerical subroutines using the 4.2 f77 compiler. This consists
of approximately 1000 routines and a very large set of test programs.
To start with I could
get the whole library to work if the optimizer was switched off and
about 50% of the library to work if the optimizer was switched on.
Since we have implemented all the bug fixes which have come over the
net (thanks due here to Donn Seeley @ sdchema) the number of failures
is down to about 5-10%. I haven't been able (yet) to isolate the
remaining problems.

Conclusion : the optimizer is still flaky. I don't have a good feel
for whether when it does work if it produces better (faster?) code.
Anyone like to comment??


Tim Hopkins,
Computing Laboratory,
University of Kent,
Canterbury CT2 7NF
Kent
U.K.

{ trh@ukc.UUCP }