Re: New Visual Fortran Product Survey

Tim Prince wrote:
Gary Scott wrote:
eperea wrote:

Gary Scott wrote:

I still don't see how they can call it "visial fortran". Isn't that
trademarked already? MS sure wouldn't allow somebody to put out a
visual something that they produce without a $ fight.


There is at least one commercial Visual Fortran out already:

http://www.intel.com/cd/software/products/asmo-na/eng/compilers/278834.htm


Version 9.1 is for Visual Studio 2005. I imagine Intel would object as
much as Microsoft.

That's what I meant. I assume that MS authorized DEC to use the name,
and that that authorization transferred to Compaq/HP and then to Intel
(don't know that) when the compiler/components/rights were successively
purchased by those companies. So I'd assume that the trademark belongs
to Intel (unless Compaq/HP retained it, but I doubt that since they
aren't using it). It is also strange to me that Portland thinks that it
can compete and provide a better product than Lahey, Absoft, and Intel
(and Salford/Silverfrost and Pathscale and ...). (meaning aren't there
enough already?)

I work for one of those companies, and I have no idea what the answer
is, beyond the public information, which is often misquoted. HP does
own and retain the rights to DEC/Compaq Visual Fortran, and their disuse
of it does not give anyone else a right to use it.

Your are correct. HP owns DEC/Compaq Visual Fortran, Intel owns Intel
Visual Fortran and PGI owns PGI Visual Fortran. According to the
Trademarks and Patent Office web site, no one holds the "Visual
Fortran" trademark.

Nor did Microsoft
extend the agreement under which CVF was developed to any other successor.

Again you are correct. Microsoft did not "extend" the agreement, they
signed a new one.

Please take a look at the PGI Visual Fortran Public Preview and tell me
if you don't think it's more fully integrated into Visual Studio than
other Visual Fortran products.

Microsoft exercises a great deal of control over any integration of 3rd
party compilers with Visual Studio, and it seems they may have
negotiated a change in the rules again in this case. Those rules tend to
restrict what kind of debugging facilities will be available etc etc. I
have no idea whether HP may have been a party to the naming or
development of this product.

For the record, HP was not a party.

Pat Brooks
The Portland Group

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: New Visual Fortran Product Survey
    ... I assume that MS authorized DEC to use the name, and that that authorization transferred to Compaq/HP and then to Intel when the compiler/components/rights were successively purchased by those companies. ... HP does own and retain the rights to DEC/Compaq Visual Fortran, and their disuse of it does not give anyone else a right to use it. ... I believe the wording which says the product is only for Windows X64 EM64T and AMD64, for which only a minority of the vendors mentioned above have a product. ... I would expect most of the above vendors to produce such a compiler for whatever architecture becomes predominant, ...
    (comp.lang.fortran)
  • Re: Intel 10.0 vs 9.1
    ... used by the compiler, those would not be in the old libraries. ... There is one particular link compatibility issue that involves module ... I would also suggest that if you have further questions about Intel ... Visual Fortran that you take advantage of our free technical support ...
    (comp.lang.fortran)
  • Re: problem with NEQNF
    ... Digital) Visual Fortran and had converted their project to Intel ... then is that the stack is incrementally corrupted on each call to FCN, ... calling convention back to the Intel default. ...
    (comp.lang.fortran)
  • Re: Which compiler (long)
    ... Visual Fortran has not "bounced around" as much as you think. ... working for Intel and bringing you, with the added muscle of additional Intel ... Intel Fortran compilers with exceptional performance and a large feature set. ... full support, ...
    (comp.lang.fortran)