Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!deimos!uxc!uxc.cso.uiuc.edu!uxg.cso.uiuc.edu!uxe.cso.uiuc.edu!mcdonald
From: mcdonald@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran
Subject: Re: Standardization (of FORTRAN, Ada, e
Message-ID: <50500092@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 28 Nov 88 13:59:00 GMT
References: <311@csun1.UUCP>
Lines: 34
Nf-ID: #R:csun1.UUCP:311:uxe.cso.uiuc.edu:50500092:000:1562
Nf-From: uxe.cso.uiuc.edu!mcdonald    Nov 28 07:59:00 1988



>I think that this discussion points out a neglected aspect of programming
>language development and language standardization: defining standard and
>useful interfaces *between* languages, so that for example new code in modern
>languages can be smoothly integrated into old programs written in old languages
>without the need for massive rewrites. 

>DEC demonstrates that this can be done in the VAX/VMS family of programming
>languages (although this is a private DEC standard).

And all the Microsoft languages (Basic, C, Fortran, and Pascal) can
easily call each other. 

>What does the rest of the net think?

I think it is a great idea. Unfortunately, when I have proposed it
to our member on X3J3, Kurt Hirchert, he has given it the royal cold
shoulder. X3J3 at least doesn't want to have anything to do with
other languages. They are only interested in making the "perfect"
Fortran, in and of itself (*), not in helping the poor user get at other
languages, or even those parts of the operating system that
aren't covered by the rather limiting Fortran IO system. Both DEC
and Microsoft have shown that it can be done - and as best as I can
tell both methods would work for either one (except that Microsoft
would have to add some way to take care of DEC's hideous "descriptors" -
better DEC to rid itself of them).

By the way, how is poor F9x? Still in intensive care? Any report, Kurt?
Are they ever going to reply to our comments sent in a year ago?

Doug McDonald (mcdonald@uiucuxe)

*  And, given the troubles thay have, that is understandable.