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From: tdrinkar@cosmos.acs.calpoly.edu (Terrell Drinkard)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran
Subject: Re: Microsoft Fortran for the Mac
Summary: It isn't very nice
Keywords: Even DOS machines have better FORTRAN
Message-ID: <1990Jan5.014933.23466@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU>
Date: 5 Jan 90 01:49:33 GMT
References: <12612@phoenix.Princeton.EDU> <12613@phoenix.Princeton.EDU>
Sender: news@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (News Guru)
Reply-To: tdrinkar@cosmos.acs.calpoly.edu.UUCP (Terrell Drinkard)
Organization: Cal Poly State University -- San Luis Obispo
Lines: 42

> 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
[loads of problems deleted in the interests of brevity]
>
>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!

It gets worse.  I bought the Microsoft FORTRAN package about three
years ago to do some aerothermodynamic calculations, and it simply
isn't standard FORTRAN.  To make matters worse, the manual must
have been the compiler writer's crib notes, because they were
obviously not written with the user in mind.  And to add insult to
injury, their technical support was so bad that I knew more about
the problems than they did.
 
I eventually had to switch to Pascal (and have never regretted it -
well, almost never :-) to get my work done.

>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

I hope that was what you were looking for.  I have heard, though I
have no first hand experience, that the Absoft FORTRAN is good.
 
Terry
 
DISCLAIMER:  My only connection with Microsoft is as a dissatisfied
customer.
Disclaimer et la Signaturo:
Hell no, I'm not responsible for what I say!  If everyone were
responsible for what they said, we'd have had a balanced budget in
1984.