[comp.lang.fortran] History of FORTRAN

xxbja@csduts1.lerc.nasa.gov (Betty Jo Armstead) (08/17/90)

From: xxbja@csduts1.lerc.nasa.gov (Betty Jo Armstead)
Path: csduts1.lerc.nasa.gov!xxbja
Newsgroups: lerc.test
Subject: History of FORTRAN
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Reply-To: xxbja@csduts1.lerc.nasa.gov (Betty Jo Armstead)
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>Speaking of the various versions of Fortran:
>
>The later versions of Fortran (IV, 66, 77) are reasonably downward
>compatible with each other, even though there are some discrepancies,
>such as the handling of a degenerate DO loop (DO 10 I=1,0 ...).
>
>However, from what I've heard, Fortran I and II were quite different
>from later versions in, for example, the syntax for I/O statements.
>
>I've never used any of these old versions, or even come across a manual.
>So could somoeone out there please say something about what these
>languages  were like?
>
>
>Magnus Olsson                   | \e+      /_
>Dept. of Theoretical Physics    |  \  Z   / q
>University of Lund, Sweden      |   >----<
>Internet: magnus@thep.lu.se     |  /      \===== g
>Bitnet: THEPMO@SELDC52          | /e-      \q


Having been a user of the early FORTRAN I on the IBM 704, perhaps I can
shed some light.  The first Fortran complier we had at Lewis Research
Center NASA was Fortran I.  The compiler punched a self loading binary
deck.  This deck could then be loaded in via the card reader. There was
no operating system and no online user storage.

My best memory was that a couple of people at United Airlines were the
first to propose the Fortran language.  I am not sure if they actually
wrote a translator (FORTRAN stands for Formula Translation).  At any rate
IBM finally provided FORTRAN I for the 704.
As to the language differences:
  a. There was no common or common blocks.
  b. The I/O was pretty similiar but there were no error or end of file
     exits.
  c. The FREQUENCY statement was to aid the compiler in compiling
     efficient if statements.
  d. There was no way to write a subroutine, although I believe you could
     write a one line function statement.
  f. Arrays were limited to 3 dimensions.
  g. There were no logical ifs.
  h. The only types were double and integer, the default being single
     precision.
  i. Integers were limited to 32k.

I will try to find an old FORTRAN I manual, but I suspect they are all
gone.  By the way SHARE, was really the birth place of FORTRAN.


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Betty Jo Armstead              SVERDRUP Technology Inc.
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