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From: bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Some elaboration on search for teaching structured FORTRAN on UNIX
Message-ID: <8253@bu-cs.BU.EDU>
Date: Mon, 1-Jun-87 00:19:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: bu-cs.8253
Posted: Mon Jun  1 00:19:08 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 2-Jun-87 03:40:02 EDT
References: <3751@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: Boston U. Comp. Sci.
Lines: 31
In-reply-to: lagache@violet.berkeley.edu's message of 28 May 87 04:10:24 GMT

Posting-Front-End: GNU Emacs 18.41.4 of Mon Mar 23 1987 on bu-cs (berkeley-unix)



From: lagache@violet.berkeley.edu (Edouard Lagache)
>    The other sort of reply was that courses of FORTRAN should teach
>    the present standard (FORTRAN-77).  For historical reasons we have
>    always taught with watfiv dialects (primarily because WATSOFT compilers
>    are very good at catching errors).  However, there is a philosophical
>    case to be made as well.  With FORTRAN 8.X due in at most 2 1/2 years,
>    there isn't a very strong case to teach a nearly defunct standard.
>    Also providing actual structured flow of control provides an
>    important enforcement to good programming habits, and is much easier to
>    debug.

Right, and by the mid 1990's F88 compilers should be readily available...

I agree with the opinion to teach whatever dialect of fortran is
readily available on the system, such as F77 on Unix. I can only
assume you teach Fortran at all because you believe people really use
it for solving real problems, well let them learn the versions people
are really using. You're flailing against the wind wishing for
something that obviously isn't in use yet and then wishing it would
also be well supported.

They'll pick up the F88 quick enough when it starts to creep into
their environment, they'll be close to 30 by then and accustomed to
such minor revolutions if they really use it, everyone around them
will be in the same boat. Your sentiment is nice, but I think it's not
necessary. Just teach them Fortran if you're going to teach them
Fortran and stop wishing for something else, teach them what people
are using.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University