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From: elabed@vms.macc.wisc.edu (Hani El-Abed, MIC at MACC)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.lang.fortran
Subject: Re: Microsoft Fortran for the Mac
Message-ID: <2906@dogie.macc.wisc.edu>
Date: 3 Jan 90 19:49:57 GMT
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Organization: University of Wisconsin Academic Computing Center
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In article <12613@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>, dcoster@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Peter Coster) writes...

>I have been trying to use version 2.2 of the Microsoft Fortran
>compiler for the Mac and have been experiencing some problems.  The
>major problem is that for small array sizes the program seems to work,
>but for large array sizes the program doesn't work (this has happened
>for a couple of programs, most recently on a version of the LINPACK
>benchmark).  By "doesn't work" I mean the program disappears into
>limbo, output that should appear at the terminal disappearing
>completely.  Another, probably related, problem is that on these
>larger problems the debugger displays blank windows instead of the
>normal contents of these windows.  I have experienced these problems
>on both a Mac II with 5MB and a SE30 with 4MB.
> 
>The program was bought by PPPL some time ago, and I am using it at the
>moment to evaluate the feasibilty of using it for real programs.  With
>its current limitation to toy problems, the recommendation will be a
>very definite NO!
> 
>I would also appreciate a response from people who have tried using
>this and other FORTRAN compilers on the Mac.
> 
>Many thanks
> 
>David Coster
> 
>dcoster@phoenix.princeton.edu


This is my personal opinion about MS FORTRAN and the Company They bought
it from (Absoft)...

I think these two compiler are pieces of Garb***e...

I had tons of problems with them...I decided to bite the bullet and
bought from my own pocket the "Language System Fortan Compiler" that
runs under the "Macintosh Programmer's Workshop(MPW)"..

I took a finite element program that I had running on a VAX 11-780..
and by golly, It compiled, ran, and even lets me know if my arrays
get to big,  without touching the source code..The Compiler and MPW
cost about $350 from Language System Corp...

Lately I have raised my standard I am using C++ for all software development
and sometimes call Fortran routines that  I link to C++

Go C++ is my new motto...

Have a good day..

Sorry Microsoft and Absoft...but those hours I spent through your crummy
documentation did go in vain...

Hani El-ABed