Hi Thomas:
YDL includes g77 (it implements ANSI Fortran 95, I believe -- if you
select the options within the compiler to obey those rules) which is
the free open source GPL (General Public License) Fortran compiler.
g77 is part of the standard installation, if I recall correctly. There
are other Fortran compilers but they are commercial -- as in not free,
and usually start within the $300+ range (and that doesn't include
specialized packages). Absoft provides a really complete Fortran
compiler. If you are developing code professionally then you can
defray these costs according to the commercial projects you are engaged
in. You may also be able to defray the costs for the commercial
packages as a professional within academia.
If you were paying attention during the YDL installation process you
would have noticed that there are many free programming packages
available for use within YDL (for use in C/C++ and Fortran as well as
others) which implement very advanced mathematical algorithms.
However, they are not installed unless you select them. There are
brief descriptions of each package to help you decide whether these
could be useful within your area of expertise.
Fortunately, the very big advantage in using g77 and other GPL based
languages is that you can implement your work, and engage in as much
research as necessary without unnecessary financial expenses. If you
need something, you can always build it yourself. Necessity, remains
the mother of invention. This can be a positive experience in which
one's programming skills expand in otherwise unexpected ways.
Eventually you may find that you may have developed and expanded an
open source application by adding a completely new feature. This is
definitely another way to get noticed within your area of interest.
However, you can also discover that something you need -- a package,
which implements a particular algorithm -- may exist within the open
source community already. You may be pleasantly surprised. You could
find yourself also easily disappointed. However, the open source
Fortran is standard (depending upon what settings you choose during
compile time) and as a programmer it is not a bad place to evolve one's
skills.
The commercial products from Absoft are definitely outstanding, but
whether they are justified as a purchase is question dependent upon
what you intend to do. You may discover that working with g77 may be
all that you really need a for a long time. If not, there is always
Absoft.
If you want more information you can go here:
http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-3.4.1/g77/
Another option to gain more information is to go to Google and enter
g77 in the Search field and see what comes up.
Best wishes...
On Dec 16, 2005, at 9:09 PM, Thomas Madden wrote:
Hello,
I have installed YDL 4.0.1 on a Mac G4 533 dual. I am interested in
beginning programming. I have a background in math, so I was hoping to
learn
Fortran. Can you tell me if there is a Fortran 95 compiler available?
And,
can you explain how to install it?
Also, can you offer me some advice on how to get started. What exactly
do I
need to install in addition to the compiler? And, what steps do I take
to do
this?
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Thomas
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