abdriver2000
asked on
Need help in improving a FORTRAN application
I have been asked to look into a FORTRAN application. I have never learnt this language, but I have to give it my best shot.
Here is what I need to know:
1. What are the best practices followed in FORTRAN? Do's and Don'ts
2. Maintainability: Is there an efficient way to maintain code in FORTRAN?
3. Code optimization: How can I locate dead code or diuplicate code? Are there any commonly available or freely downloadable tools?
4. Any efficient algorithms that I need to know?
5. Is there an URL which will show me all the versions of FORTRAN along with their features?
6. Any other info or link you may think will be useful to me?
Here is what I need to know:
1. What are the best practices followed in FORTRAN? Do's and Don'ts
2. Maintainability: Is there an efficient way to maintain code in FORTRAN?
3. Code optimization: How can I locate dead code or diuplicate code? Are there any commonly available or freely downloadable tools?
4. Any efficient algorithms that I need to know?
5. Is there an URL which will show me all the versions of FORTRAN along with their features?
6. Any other info or link you may think will be useful to me?
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ASKER
This is a robotic application. The application provides the coordinates for the robotic arm to pickup and place components on the shop floor.
Well I have not much experience in this field, but I guess this may involve computations in 3d space, use of transformation matrices and so on...
If so, F90/F95 have their own optimized intrinsic functions for very basic linear algebra computations (see e.g. dot_product() and matmul() ), for something more advanced but still of general use, such as more complex linear algebra, matrix inversion and so on, you probably should have a look to freely available packages like blas and lapack before writing your own routines; for statistical computation there is not much freely available for Fortran, the commercial IMSL libraries are the most commonly used, as far as I know.
I forgot to say, if you need a manual on Fortran, try to go on the web page of a good commercial compiler (see links in the suggested wikipedia page), usually the reference manuals are freely
downloadable.
If so, F90/F95 have their own optimized intrinsic functions for very basic linear algebra computations (see e.g. dot_product() and matmul() ), for something more advanced but still of general use, such as more complex linear algebra, matrix inversion and so on, you probably should have a look to freely available packages like blas and lapack before writing your own routines; for statistical computation there is not much freely available for Fortran, the commercial IMSL libraries are the most commonly used, as far as I know.
I forgot to say, if you need a manual on Fortran, try to go on the web page of a good commercial compiler (see links in the suggested wikipedia page), usually the reference manuals are freely
downloadable.
If you need more specific answers, please reformulate the questions with more details on the basis of the answers given; in my opinion, with the elements provided, it is difficult to give more specific answers, thanks.
If you need more specific answers, please reformulate the questions with more details on the basis of the answers given; in my opinion, with the elements provided, it is difficult to give more specific answers, thanks.
I do not know whether I am the one who has to decide about this, from my point of view, the comments I made with ID: 24057500 and ID: 24057587 provide an answer suitable to the request and the information provided, so I would go for point #3, but I agree to answer further on the same thread if the Author can provide more information about his application and OS/compiler/platform.
Thanks, dcesari
Thanks, dcesari
ASKER
The questions that were raised have really not been answered here. The problem here is I really do not have much info than what is already provided. I don't see a way to take this forward until I get more info from my seniors.
I am ok with awarding points to dcesari for his/her efforts.
I am ok with awarding points to dcesari for his/her efforts.
Thank you, I will be happy to help on this topic in the future if needed.
to advance further with this you need to be more specific...
what machine/os environments are you dealing with?
what are the general usages for the programs you will be maintaining?