fpst@hubcap.clemson.edu (Steve Stevenson-Moderator) (10/19/88)
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From: brainerd@unmvax.unm.edu (Walt Brainerd)
Subject: Proposed Fortran 88
Keywords: fortran standards
Two points have been overlooked in the recent discussion of the happenings
in the wonderful world of Fortran standards:
1. X3J3 is "tasked" by WG5 of ISO to create the ISO standard.
2. There is only one document that is close enough to be a standard
in the next five years; it is the one favored by ISO/WG5. So the choices
are: a) the same ISO and ANSI standard or
b) an ISO standard and _no_ ANSI standard (at least not for several years).
Also, from what I have heard, it is quite likely that any ISO standard
would become a U. S. Federal (FIP) standard whether it is an American
national standard or not, so vendors wanting to sell to Uncle Sam would
have to implement it.
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Another point I forgot to mention previously (the significance of which
you can puzzle over for yourself) in response to someone who noted that
the Europeans seem to represent the consumer viewpoint more than X3J3:
The document favored by ISO/WG5 was put into its final form by five
people on X3J3 who all represent users; the hardest opposition is
coming from some of the vendors.budden@tetra.nosc.mil (Rex A. Buddenberg) (10/24/88)
[ A comment about who gets to put out standards. This is in references to the brouhaha about the Fortran 8x standard. --- Steve ] Both FIPS and MilStds have the mechanism for recognizing ANSI standards. While unsure, my guess is same goes for ISO and IEEE standards. Rex Buddenberg