Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site astrovax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!astrovax!elt From: elt@astrovax.UUCP (Ed Turner) Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Re: RE: UNIX for physicists (attn:finn) Message-ID: <374@astrovax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 12-Jun-84 10:47:25 EDT Article-I.D.: astrovax.374 Posted: Tue Jun 12 10:47:25 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Jun-84 00:48:38 EDT References: <90@utastro.UUCP> Organization: Princeton Univ. Astrophysics Lines: 27 Our site has also suffered heavily from the unspeakably disgraceful f77 compiler supplied with Berkeley UNIX 4.2. It would be difficult to adequately describe how bad this compiler is or how treacherous some of the bugs uncovered here are. Nevertheless, I am loath to give up (or advise others to give up) the advantages of UNIX just to get a decent FORTRAN compiler. The best solution, in my opinion, is to switch to C thus getting a good compiler and a superior language; to the extent that the new f77 compiler motivates people to do this, it may be a good thing. Incidentally, the advantage to a physical scientist of a computer language superior to FORTRAN is analogus to the advantages of a superior mathematical notation. It allows one to do calculations which are more complex, reliable, transparent, and flexible with a given amount of effort. Many object to having to learn a new language, but few would try to do General Relativity with scalar calculus to avoid learning tensor calculus, to take a rather extreme comparison. Of course, switching to C cannot be the whole solution given the existence of enormous amounts of useful FORTRAN code, portability requirements, and the fact that some people simply won't switch. There must be a substantial amount of money to be made by producing a first class FORTRAN compiler that runs under 4.2. Surely someone is working on this. Does anyone know anything about this? Please let me know. Ed Turner astrovax!elt