djm@hpcuhb.HP.COM (Daniel J. Magenheimer) (04/05/89)
YOUR INPUT AND PARTICIPATION WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
For Immediate Release
IEEE Computer Society Group Forming for FORTRAN
Bindings to POSIX
February 2, 1989
Under the auspices of the IEEE Computer Society's
Technical Committee on Operating Systems (TCOS), a new stan-
dards development effort has been authorized and formed to
identify and define a binding between the FORTRAN program-
ming language and POSIX, the Portable Operating System
Interface for Computer Environments. This group, P1003.9,
is the newest group within P1003, a set of committees dedi-
cated to standardizing portions of a UNIX*-based environment
for purposes of applications portability. The bindings
developed will allow FORTRAN programmers to directly utilize
all POSIX capabilities, which currently are available only
from the C language.
Although the POSIX functional standards are being
developed in a language-independent manner, they reflect the
C-language roots of the UNIX system, and therefore do not
easily fit the FORTRAN programming model. A primary goal of
developing a binding between FORTRAN and POSIX is to retain
the flavor and advantages of both backgrounds. However,
because of FORTRAN language constraints, the specifications
must walk a fine line between usability and portability.
The resulting set of specification design problems covers a
broad spectrum of programming language and operating system
issues, which, in many cases, require creative solutions.
Consequently, participation on the part of individuals with
thorough knowledge of FORTRAN and UNIX concepts is desired
to help ensure successful acceptance of this binding stan-
dard.
After the initial effort joining the system interface
in P1003.1 (the operating system kernel) with ANSI X3.9-1978
(FORTRAN 77), the group will proceed to other soon-to-be-
standardized P1003 components and a similar set of bindings
for FORTRAN 8X, the emerging next generation FORTRAN stan-
dard.
An initial draft has been developed based on work done
in /usr/group**. The first P1003.9 meeting took place in
January 1989 and the next meeting will be held in Minneapo-
lis in April [24-26] 1989. The interim chairs for the group
are Dan Magenheimer and John McGrory of Hewlett-Packard Co.
For information or to participate, contact Mr.
Magenheimer or Mr. McGrory at (408)725-8900, or at Hewlett-
Packard Co, 19447 Pruneridge Ave., Cupertino, CA 95014.
(ARPA: djm%hpda@hplabs.hp.com, mcgrory%hpda@hplabs.hp.com)
* UNIX is a trademark of AT&T in the U.S. and other coun-
tries.
** /usr/group is a trademark of /usr/group.