Re: National Labs, Fortran, and free compilers
From: Stig Kildegård Andersen (ska_at_ifyouspammeyouarefragged.mek.dtu.dk)
Date: 11/25/03
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Date: Tue, 25 Nov 2003 15:08:57 +0100
> A compiler for the F language, which is a subset of Fortran 90, is
> freely available. Have you considered using that? The Salford Fortran
> 95 compiler, personal edition, is 95 UK pounds, should be affordable
> for students -- what's the point of spending hundreds or thousands of
> dollars on a programming course in order to learn an obsolete language
> such as Fortran 77?
We have considered F. But the F language is severely handicapped by its
incompatibility with existing fortran code. All the code we use would have
to be rewritten and we would have to face the fact that most of the source
code available on the internet would be useless to us ass well.
We actually have a site license for the Slaford compiler. But it is only for
an old version that is both buggy and horrible.
In Denmark getting a university education is _free_. You only have to pay
for your books and what ever else you need. That means that not only rich
people go to the University. Many students live for about 400 UK pounds a
month spending roughly half of it on their rent. The most expensive course I
ever took cost me less than 70 UK pounds. Add a book to the price of the
Salford compiler and you have a good reason to take the C++ course instead.
> I don't understand the attitude of some people that software should
> never be paid for. I think that they (or often their teachers and
> supervisors) place too little value on their time. Suppose as a
> graduate student, the lack of a tool such as Fortran 95 compiler will
> delay your graduation by N months. The annual salary of scientists in
> the US is on the order of $100 K per year, so every month of delay is
> costing you $8000. Is a compiler costing a few hundred dollars really
> too expensive? I programmed a lot of F77 in grad school and am sure I
> could have finished sooner with F90 or F95, so this is not just hot
> air.
I completely and totally agree with you. It is deeply irrational and harmful
that students are deprived of the basic tools they need. Not only do they
need more time to complete their projects but they also end up not knowing
about modern tools.
The problem is that rational arguments about the economical impact to
society caused by tying student on their hands and feet while they go
through university do not apply. The IT department does not immediately get
extra funding from society when they buy a modern fortran compiler for a
student. For them it is just money out of their budget.
Stig
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