jp@lanl.ARPA (09/19/85)
My daughter is enrolled in a computer class that is teaching WATFIV. Questions: Is WATFIV a FORTRAN preprocessor or a directly compiled language? Is WATFIV a commercial product or public domain? Can I get WATFIV in a form suitable for running under CP/M-80? (If, for instance, it is a preprocessor, and, I can get Fortran source code for it, I can compile it with Microsoft's Fortran 80.) Thanks, Jim Potter jp@lanl.arpa
johnl@ima.UUCP (09/20/85)
/* Written 1:13 am Sep 19, 1985 by jp@lanl in ima:net.lang */ > My daughter is enrolled in a computer class that is teaching WATFIV. > Is WATFIV a FORTRAN preprocessor or a directly compiled language? > Is WATFIV a commercial product or public domain? > Can I get WATFIV in a form suitable for running under CP/M-80? WATFIV is a venerable version of Fortran IV from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, which was famed for its quick compilation and its good compile- and run-time diagnostics. The only implementation I ever heard of was for IBM 360 and 370 mainframes. When I used it 15 years ago, it implemented straightforward Fortram IV with some extensions for character handling and free format I/O which eventually made it (more or less) into Fortran 77. I expect Waterloo has been working on it since then; they now sell their software through WATCOM which advertises in the usual computer magazines. John Levine, ima!johnl
schuler@gondor.UUCP (David W. Schuler) (09/20/85)
> My daughter is enrolled in a computer class that is teaching WATFIV. > Questions: > > Is WATFIV a FORTRAN preprocessor or a directly compiled language? It is a fortran compiler that is a compile and go type. It allows modules to be called and linked, but it is messy. It does NOT preprocess code to be sent to a normal fortran processor (compiler). > Is WATFIV a commercial product or public domain? Watfiv is (was) written at the University of Waterloo in Canada. It is distributed (I believe) as a commercial product. Some fortrans say that they are WATFIV LIKE, but they are NOT true WATIFV. > Can I get WATFIV in a form suitable for running under CP/M-80? Probably not from Waterloo, but some look-alikes do exist. > (If, for instance, it is a preprocessor, and, I can get Fortran source > code for it, I can compile it with Microsoft's Fortran 80.) NO, see above. As a side note, we have been using WATFIV here at Penn State University for many years. It is a good fortran for learning programming, but it also has some shortcomings. Overall, it is rather easy to move to a fortran like the IBM VS Fortran after having used WATFIV. However, some of the un- formatted read/write, and do-loops act differently under each. BE careful. If anyone has any other questions, please use E-mail to continue this. I will post to the net if there are enough questions. -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ David W. Schuler {akgua,allegra,ihnp4}!psuvax1!psuvaxg!schuler Penn State University schuler@psuvax1.bitnet +--+ +--+ + + Home of the 1982 | | | | | 1985 Season 2-0 National Champion +--+ +--+ | | (so far) Nittany Lions | | | | + +--+ +--+ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ "...on the loftiest throne in the world we are still sitting only on our own rear." - Montaigne