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From: dd@beta.UUCP (Dan Davison)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran
Subject: Re: F8X comments
Message-ID: <12357@beta.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 15-Nov-87 23:48:20 EST
Article-I.D.: beta.12357
Posted: Sun Nov 15 23:48:20 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Nov-87 03:22:58 EST
References: <50500015@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu> <5774@j.cc.purdue.edu> <9370@mimsy.UUCP> <434@uni2.bcm.tmc.edu>
Organization: Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos, N.M.
Lines: 33
Summary: nice language, not fortran


I have been reading the proposed standard and talking for hours with a 
member of the committee.  Since I'm only about .33 way thru the document
I'll offer generalizations here and follow up in the future with specifics
(that is, chapter and verse details).

First, there are a number of typos in the pseudo-BNF which confused me no
end, but I suspect that's because of (1) several curious omissions and (2)
and my unfamiliarity with reading standards documents.

Second, it's a nice language; part APL, part Pascal, part the language we now
call fortran.  But, it is not fortran.  It is also going to be a nightmare
for compiler writers and I do not expect to see an 8X compiler in the next
two or three years after the standard is approved.

Third, the deletion of bit fields can charitably be described as bizarre.
Also, the relegation of certain array constructs (FORALL, for those who
have the document) to outer slobobia is also, umm, strange.

There is an excellent summary booklet "Review and Analysis of Fortran 8x"
(Argonne National Laboratory 9700 South Cass Avenue Argonne Illinois
60439) Document ANL-87-40, October 1987.  I think it's available to the
public.  I have gone through mine with a red pen and it is considerably
marked up.  

More to come...


-- 
dan davison/theoretical biology/t-10 ms k710/los alamos national laboratory
los alamos, nm 875545/dd@lanl.gov (arpa)/dd@lanl.uucp(new)/..cmcl2!lanl!dd
"I refuse to be intimidated by reality any more"  "What is reality anyway?
Nuthin' but a collective hunch!" --Jane Wagner,via Lily Tomlin