Introduction of Fortran Language:
Fortran (short for "FORmula TRANslation") is a programming language primarily used for numerical computations in scientific and engineering fields. It was first developed in the 1950s by IBM and is one of the oldest programming languages still in use today.
Fortran is a procedural language, which means that it is based on the idea of executing a sequence of statements that perform specific tasks. It also has a number of built-in functions for common mathematical operations, making it well-suited for numerical computations.
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One of the key features of Fortran is its ability to handle large amounts of numerical data with high performance. It is also well-suited for parallel computing, with many modern versions of the language including support for parallel processing.
Fortran is also used to write programs that control scientific experiments and simulations. Many scientific libraries are written in Fortran and are widely used in the scientific community.
The latest version of Fortran is Fortran 2018, which was published in 2018, it provides several new features such as coarray Fortran, enhanced data typing, and improved interoperability with C language.
Fortran is widely used in scientific and engineering applications, and is still considered a valuable tool for high-performance computing. However, it is not as widely used in industry and general-purpose programming as languages such as C and Python.
Workings with Fortran Language
To start working with the Fortran programming language, you will need a Fortran compiler. Some popular Fortran compilers include gfortran, Intel Fortran, and Oracle Developer Studio. Once you have a compiler installed, you can create a new Fortran program by creating a new file with the .f or .f90 file extension and writing your code in that file. You can then use the compiler to convert the code in the file into an executable program that can be run on a computer.
Here is a simple example of a Fortran program that prints "Hello, world!" to the screen:
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program hello
print *, "Hello, world!"
end program hello
You can then compile the program using the command line:
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gfortran hello.f90 -o hello
And then execute the program:
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./hello
This will display the message "Hello, world!" on the screen.
Fortran is a programming language that is primarily used for numerical computations in science, engineering, and economics. It was first developed in the 1950s by IBM and is one of the oldest programming languages still in use today. The first Fortran compiler was developed by IBM in 1957 for their IBM 704 mainframe computer.
Over the years, Fortran has undergone several revisions, with the latest version being Fortran 2018. Many different compilers are available for Fortran, including those from IBM, Intel, and GNU. Fortran is still widely used in scientific and engineering applications, particularly in the fields of high-performance computing and numerical simulation.
Fortran compiler in Fortran Language:
A Fortran compiler is a software tool that converts Fortran source code into machine code that can be executed on a computer. Fortran compilers are available for a variety of operating systems and platforms, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS.
There are several different Fortran compilers available, including:
GNU Fortran (gfortran): This is a free and open-source Fortran compiler that is part of the GNU Compiler Collection (GCC). It supports the Fortran 77, 90, 95, 2003, 2008, and 2018 standards.
Intel Fortran Compiler
: This is a commercial Fortran compiler that is optimized for Intel processors. It supports the Fortran 77, 90, 95, 2003, 2008, and 2018 standards.
PGI Fortran Compiler:
This is a commercial Fortran compiler that is optimized for high-performance computing applications. It supports the Fortran 77, 90, 95, 2003, 2008, and 2018 standards.
IBM XL Fortran Compiler:
This is a commercial Fortran compiler that is part of the IBM XL Compiler Suite. It supports the Fortran 77, 90, 95, 2003, and 2008 standards.
In general, Fortran compilers provide options for optimizing code performance, error checking, and generating debugging information. They also usually provide libraries of pre-written code that can be used to perform common tasks such as mathematical calculations, input/output operations, and memory management.
Advantages of Fortran Language:
Some advantages of Fortran Language may include:
High performance: Fortran is designed to handle large amounts of numerical data quickly and efficiently. It is often used to write high-performance code for supercomputers and other high-performance computing systems.
Widely used in scientific and engineering communities:
Fortran has been used for decades in these fields and has a large user base and extensive library of well-tested and optimized subroutines.
Good support for parallel computing:
Fortran has built-in support for parallel processing and is often used to write code that can take advantage of multi-core processors and distributed computing systems.
Good debugging and profiling tools:
There are several good debugging and profiling tools available for Fortran, including:
gdb: The GNU Debugger is a powerful command-line debugging tool that is compatible with Fortran.
TotalView:
A commercial debugging tool that provides a graphical user interface and advanced features such as parallel debugging and memory leak detection.
gprof: This is a performance profiling tool that can be used to analyze the execution time of a Fortran program and identify performance bottlenecks.
Allinea DDT: This is a commercial parallel debugging and profiling tool that can be used to debug and profile parallel Fortran code.
fx2: This is a debugging and profiling tool that is built on top of gdb and is specifically designed for Fortran.
All of these tools have their own set of features and advantages and it is recommended to investigate and test each of them to find the best fit for your specific needs.
Long-term compatibility:
Fortran has been in use for over 60 years and many legacy codes are still in use. The standardization of new versions makes it easy to maintain and modify old codes.
Long-term compatibility in Fortran refers to the ability of code written in one version of the language to continue to work correctly when run on a computer using a later version of the compiler.
To ensure long-term compatibility, it is important to use standard-conforming constructs and avoid using features that are specific to a particular compiler or version of the language.
Additionally, code should be well-documented and include comments explaining any non-standard features that were used. Using a code linter and following best practices in software development will also help to ensure that code is maintainable in the long-term.
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