Why these original FORTRAN quirks?
in [Fortran]
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From: Brian Inglis on 18 Oct 2006 04:23 On 17 Oct 2006 16:07:59 -0700 in alt.folklore.computers, "Terence" <tbwright(a)cantv.net> wrote: >I see a few of us are still alive! > I was flying RAF planes in post-war 1946; Then I worked on a >DC-amplifier based teletype output computer for 200 strain gauges an >aircraft factory in 1951 and 52 to find why tails fell off (metal >fatigue at low temperatures). >And later used the Mercury STAR computer for De Havilland "Blue Streak" >guidance simulations (using paper tape and big boxes of spare >dual-triodes). Then I installed several paper-tape 1620's for IBM in >the UK and was involved with Fortran for IBM in the 1961-64 period (and >still use F77 in preference to anything else). Yes, I have the 704 >manual and others.. >I also wrote the card loader that played music pieces on the 1403 >printer chain, and a simple tape operating system for the 1401 (and I >could go on..). >If anybody wants war stories, please feel free to write; I know of >others from the period. Please feel free to post (computer) war stories in a.f.c: that's what we're here for. -- Thanks. Take care, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada Brian.Inglis(a)CSi.com (Brian[dot]Inglis{at}SystematicSW[dot]ab[dot]ca) fake address use address above to reply
From: Brian Inglis on 18 Oct 2006 06:08 fOn Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:56:50 +0000 (UTC) in alt.folklore.computers, Joe Morris <jcmorris(a)mitre.org> wrote: >One oddity of FMS (at least as I remember it) was that despite the >miniscule amount of available memory by today's standards (a fully- >equipped machine had 32768 words of memory) was that the executing >load included the code to translate text between BCD and card image >format. Lots of self-modifying code to reduce instruction space. -- Thanks. Take care, Brian Inglis Calgary, Alberta, Canada Brian.Inglis(a)CSi.com (Brian[dot]Inglis{at}SystematicSW[dot]ab[dot]ca) fake address use address above to reply
From: jmfbahciv on 18 Oct 2006 09:03 In article <42pbj2ds3pumb2o4rcna13f5tj2bfl3bes(a)4ax.com>, Brian Inglis <Brian.Inglis(a)SystematicSW.Invalid> wrote: >On 17 Oct 2006 16:07:59 -0700 in alt.folklore.computers, "Terence" ><tbwright(a)cantv.net> wrote: > >>I see a few of us are still alive! >> I was flying RAF planes in post-war 1946; Then I worked on a >>DC-amplifier based teletype output computer for 200 strain gauges an >>aircraft factory in 1951 and 52 to find why tails fell off (metal >>fatigue at low temperatures). >>And later used the Mercury STAR computer for De Havilland "Blue Streak" >>guidance simulations (using paper tape and big boxes of spare >>dual-triodes). Then I installed several paper-tape 1620's for IBM in >>the UK and was involved with Fortran for IBM in the 1961-64 period (and >>still use F77 in preference to anything else). Yes, I have the 704 >>manual and others.. >>I also wrote the card loader that played music pieces on the 1403 >>printer chain, and a simple tape operating system for the 1401 (and I >>could go on..). >>If anybody wants war stories, please feel free to write; I know of >>others from the period. > >Please feel free to post (computer) war stories in a.f.c: that's what >we're here for. Yea. The guys over there love to talk about their hardware. /BAH
From: jmfbahciv on 18 Oct 2006 09:07 In article <1hndkwm.1gruz8s1ka6txoN%nospam(a)see.signature>, nospam(a)see.signature (Richard Maine) wrote: <snip> >If you use the name of the intrinsic for an external procedure, ... I'd chop your nine edge off. There is no excuse to do this. <snip> /BAH
From: wclodius on 18 Oct 2006 10:38
Rostyslaw J. Lewyckyj wrote: > <snip> > > > Ok,ok, I stand corrected. However as a result I need an explanation > and clarification of the 'practical ?' difference between intrinsics > and reserved words/identifiers in the Fortran language. Minor comment. Fortran as a language is one of the few with NO reserved words/identifiers. You can not only define your own SIN function, you can also define your own FUNCTION, IF, END, CONTINUE, ... functions, variables, or subroutines. Fortran uses punctuation to identify contexts where keywords are required (resulting in the potential need for a second pass in lexing), and the explicit identification of user defined semantics for a name will use user definition in locations where keywords are not required. <snip> |