Re: C versus FORTRAN90

ambi wrote:
Hello,
I am sure this topic has been debated a number of times. We are
planning to
purchase a math library for my office. Because of budget
limitations we can only buy one license. I must choose between the C or
FORTRAN90 version of these libraries. And this brings me to my
question, is C or FORTRAN90
preferable for computational work? I use (and prefer) FORTRAN because
that is what I know.
Are there other more subtle benefits for FORTRAN over C? The arguement
by my superiors at work is that I (and all other FORTRAN users) should
switch to C because that is the way the world is going (and hence buy
the C version of the libraries).

I would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Well, it's not really a C v. f95 question, is it? The first questions that popped into my head were:
1) what's the ratio of C/f95 programmers at your company?
2) If the answer to (1) is C heavy, then your bosses (superiors? I think not! :o) are probably right. If the answer to (1) if f95 heavy, then maybe some sort of cost-benefit analysis of a wholesale switch from f95 to C at your company should be done to convince them otherwise (assuming, of course, that the result is in favour of /not/ switching).

What is the estimated cost of training all your f95 programmers in C to the level of compentency they have now in f95 and the associated downtime/lost productivity?

Absent any other info, I think the cost of an extra license would be cheap in comparison.

If the only reason management wants to use C is because "that is the way the world is going" then I wouldn't have too much confidence in their management decisions. Besides, I thought C was old hat now anyway? :o)

cheers,

paulv

--
Paul van Delst
CIMSS @ NOAA/NCEP/EMC
.

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