leeke@cascade.UUCP (05/01/86)
Does anyone out there have Microsoft's latest version of their Fortran compiler that would be willing to post or send me a review? This is for a friend and he has a Mac Plus so HFS/New Roms compatibility, and whether it runs any better with 1meg vs. 512k would be nice things to know in general. In addition, of course, lots of detail on implementation, conformance to F77, bugs, performance, etc. would help. Steve Leeke SU-CASCADE.ARPA
b2@dalcs.UUCP (Bert Buckley) (05/04/86)
In article <92@cascade.ARPA> leeke@su-cascade.ARPA (Steven D. Leeke) writes: >Does anyone out there have Microsoft's latest version of their Fortran compiler >that would be willing to post or send me a review? This is for a friend and >he has a Mac Plus so HFS/New Roms compatibility, and whether it runs any better >with 1meg vs. 512k would be nice things to know in general. In addition, of >course, lots of detail on implementation, conformance to F77, bugs, performance After failing to get my version of Fortran to run (original Absoft, v 2.0(b)) my new Mac+ (it works fine on my Lisa), I borrowed a colleague's newer Microsoft version (v. 2.1 I think). I would not run on the +, despite trying lots of games like taking everything out of folders. So I phoned Microsoft. Here is what I understand they told me. Yes, they know it will not run on the + (HFS I think is the real culprit). Yes, they are working on it. When will it be available? Sometime this summer, in a vague sort of way... . Will be an upgrade? Yes. I didn't ask about cost. In a general sort of way, I am not superimpressed with Apple's commitment to upward compatibility. Many products still run, but Fortran is a significant example of one that does not. As for games, at least 3 good ones don't run, and I do enjoy relaxing with them sometimes...or I used to, although some (but not all) still run on my Lisa.
ir408@sdcc6.UUCP (ir408) (05/11/86)
As an active user of MS-Fortran, I have been in touch numerous times with Absoft technical support, and have been told that they have a patch for 2.1 to allow it to run under HFS. I have not yet obtained this since I am still using 512's at home and work. I have a Mac + on order, and when that comes in, I will find out. Version 2.2, promised for this summer, will ostensibly support HFS. The problem is bigger than merely allowing compilation under HFS; Absoft's implementation of the Fortran OPEN statement is incompatible with HFS. Programs which I have wriiten and compiled under MFS run fine until you hit an OPEN statement, then crash. Programs which open files through the toolbox and manipulate them through paramter block reads work fine in HFS, however. While this is fine for those of us who are perverse enough to try to program with the toolbox in Fortran, it is small consolation to the majority of Fortran users (who probably don't want to learn how to use the operating system calls on any machine, let alone the Mac). In summary, if you have MS-Fortran 2.1, don't upgrade to HFS yet unless you are ready to do some major changes in your file handling. If you have a Mac +, and really need Fortran you might get in touch with Absoft. Don't bother with Microsoft, they really don't seem to know the product. I'm sorry that I can't post the number, but those with persistance can no doubt find it. Jeff E Mandel MD MS Department of Anesthesiology Tulane Medical Center New Orleans, LA 70112 (you can't get in touch with me by usenet, I'm just here visiting)
phil@sivax.UUCP (05/12/86)
> In article <92@cascade.ARPA> leeke@su-cascade.ARPA (Steven D. Leeke) writes: > >Does anyone out there have Microsoft's latest version of their Fortran compiler > >that would be willing to post or send me a review? This is for a friend and > >he has a Mac Plus so HFS/New Roms compatibility, and whether it runs any better > >with 1meg vs. 512k would be nice things to know in general. In addition, of > >course, lots of detail on implementation, conformance to F77, bugs, performance > > After failing to get my version of Fortran to run (original Absoft, v 2.0(b)) > my new Mac+ (it works fine on my Lisa), I borrowed a colleague's newer > Microsoft version (v. 2.1 I think). I would not run on the +, despite trying > lots of games like taking everything out of folders. > > So I phoned Microsoft. Here is what I understand they told me. Yes, they > know it will not run on the + (HFS I think is the real culprit). Yes, they > are working on it. When will it be available? Sometime this summer, in a > vague sort of way... . Will be an upgrade? Yes. I didn't ask about cost. > > In a general sort of way, I am not superimpressed with Apple's commitment > to upward compatibility. Many products still run, but Fortran is a > significant example of one that does not. As for games, at least 3 good > ones don't run, and I do enjoy relaxing with them sometimes...or I used to, > although some (but not all) still run on my Lisa. MICROSOFT is not the ones who wrote MS FTN. It was written by ABSOFT in Michigan and licensed for sale by Microsoft, so Microsoft is NOT working on it. Absoft IS WORKING ON IT, as a matter of fact I have a beta test version (V2.2) that is much greatly improved than V2.1 and it does support HFS completely. There are also many new example pgms with the 2.2 kit to show how to do some things. I think it is great. Absoft sent the final release to Microsoft end of April or early May. So bug Microsoft again. Phil Hunt
baron@runx.OZ (Jason Haines) (05/20/86)
Not superimpressed with Apple's commitment to upward compatibility?
The reason these programs don't work on Mac+'s is that the authors failed to
read the Tech Notes properly. The thing about HFS is that many authors opted
to kludge the resuls of SF[Get/Put]File. The warning came clearly from Apple
that this was NOT the way to do it. Another hassle was the way many authors
obtained the addresses of the screen/sound buffers. My favourite game wont
run on a Mac+ because of this. And how many people out there have played
Megaroids?
Apple has been pretty good to constantly publish Tech Notes, explaining things
to the programmer. It's a first.
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