Detailed Description of Fortran
Fortran (short for "Formula Translation") is one of the oldest high-level programming languages, developed specifically for scientific and engineering calculations. It was first created by IBM in the 1950s, with its first version released in 1957. Fortran has been widely used in fields that require extensive numerical computation, such as physics, engineering, and high-performance computing.
Age
Fortran was first released in 1957, making it over 65 years old.
License
Fortran itself does not have a specific license as it is a language standard. However, implementations of Fortran, such as GNU Fortran (gfortran) and Intel Fortran Compiler, are subject to their own licensing terms. GNU Fortran is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), while Intel Fortran Compiler has its own commercial license.
Technology
Fortran is a compiled language, meaning that code written in Fortran is translated into machine code by a compiler before execution. It has evolved through several versions, with each new version introducing improvements and new features. Fortran supports structured programming, and later versions introduced object-oriented programming and parallel computing features.
Example of Several Lines of Code
! A simple Fortran program to print "Hello, World!"
program hello
print *, "Hello, World!"
end program hello
! A simple Fortran subroutine to compute the factorial of a number
subroutine factorial(n, result)
integer, intent(in) :: n
integer, intent(out) :: result
integer :: i
result = 1
do i = 1, n
result = result * i
end do
end subroutine factorial
! Using the factorial subroutine
program test
integer :: num, fact
num = 5
call factorial(num, fact)
print *, "Factorial of", num, "is", fact
end program test
Advantages of Fortran
- Numerical Precision and Performance: Fortran is designed for numerical and scientific computation, making it highly efficient for mathematical and engineering tasks.
- Rich Mathematical Libraries: Fortran includes extensive mathematical functions and libraries, particularly useful in scientific and high-performance computing.
- Legacy Code and Compatibility: Fortran has a long history in scientific computing, and many legacy codes and libraries are still in use, ensuring continued relevance.
- Array Handling: Fortran has strong support for array manipulation, which simplifies operations on large datasets and multidimensional arrays.
- Parallel Computing: Modern versions of Fortran support parallel computing features, allowing for efficient execution on multi-core and distributed systems.
Disadvantages of Fortran
- Aging Language: Fortran's syntax and conventions are considered outdated compared to modern programming languages, which can be challenging for new developers to learn.
- Limited General-Purpose Use: While powerful for numerical tasks, Fortran is less suited for general-purpose programming, such as web development or user interfaces.
- Compatibility Issues: Different versions of Fortran (e.g., Fortran 77, Fortran 90) may have compatibility issues, making it difficult to integrate older code with newer standards.
- Smaller Community: The Fortran community is smaller compared to more modern languages, which can impact the availability of resources and support.
- Lack of Modern Features: Although newer versions of Fortran have introduced object-oriented programming and other modern features, it still lacks some of the conveniences and abstractions found in more contemporary languages.
Fortran remains a powerful tool in scientific and engineering domains where performance and numerical accuracy are crucial. Despite its age and specialized focus, its continued use in legacy systems and scientific computing reflects its enduring strengths in these areas.