Help with Fortran programming!?

Question

Help with Fortran programming!?

Answer 1

If you want to learn programming, it's best to start with programming, not with a language. Try http://www-old.oberon.ethz.ch/WirthPubl/AD.pdf (It's free, and it's the best programming course ever written - by the man who invented Pascal, Modula 2 and a few other languages.)



The best language? What's the best tool to use? Hammer? Saw? Screwdriver? Get the idea? Programming languages are tools - each one has a specific purpose. You use the one best suited to the purpose.



PHP is actually about the easiest one to learn, but once you've learned programming, I'd suggest C#. You can get a free version from Microsoft. It'll get you right into object oriented programming (everything in C# is an object).



Normally you type your code into a text editor (like Notepad) and save it as a file on your hard drive. Then the language compiler reads it and creates a machine language file for the computer to run. (With Microsoft's languages, you're in an Integrated Development Environment - IDE - that has the editor, lots of handy tools and the compiler all in one.)



But learn programming first, or you'll be like a carpenter with an electronic hammer before he learns what a nail is. "Great tool, but now what?"

Answer 2

For many of these older languages, you need something called a compiler. this will give you the environment you type in.



In the old days, programs were typed in like that and then "compiled" in to your program and that is why they are called "compilers". Now everyone knows programs end with ".exe" (for executable programs), but back before windows, they could also end in ".com" (which also meant "compiled").



Have fun with the old stuff - If you can find a copy of "Visual..." anything, then they are newer and might be more useful in finding a job if that is what you are interested in, but sadly they do cost serious money.



Good luck!

Answer 3

If you're just learning, I definitely wouldn't learn Fortran. It's really old and not used much anymore. I would start with Visual Basic, and then move on to C++ or Java for more advanced programming.

Answer 4

To write your source code, any editor will do (by editor, I mean for plain text. A desktop publishing/word processor software is not only overkill, but introduces control characters that handle font style and size selection, and those have no place in a source code).

If you are on a PC, something like "notepad" would do, just remember to rename the resulting file as ".for" instead of ".txt".

If you are serious about coding, you could even try out a more advanced editor like GNU's "emacs" (that is the one I use), but it has the steep learning curve that usually accompanies advanced package.

However, most software development packages -- IDE for integrated development environment -- include both the compiler and a suitable editor.

Since you are just starting, this is perhaps a bit early to immediately start to run when you are just learning to walk, but it is nice to know that there are better and grander thing to move into later on, when you are an expert.



As to the best language, it depends on several factor. One is what you want to do. If you want to write program that will run with lots of pre-formatted data in a file, or process mathematical data for a long time, Fortran is possibly your best choice since this is what it offers: numerical efficiency.

If you want to have something that will have a graphical interface, then you should go along with one of the C family language (C, C++, C#).

If quick development is more important that computation speed, then perhaps you should check Python.

And there are scores of other languages, with their pro and con. Programming languages are like land vehicle: specialized. You would not deliver pianos with a Formula 1. You would not do taxi work with a pick-up. Same with programming language.