Talk:Fortran

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Revision as of 12:21, 3 August 2009 by imported>Howard C. Berkowitz (→‎FORTRAN (I): new section)
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 Definition:  Oldest high-level computer language; especially used for numeric applications [d] [e]
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FORTRAN (I)

While it's unfortunately in storage, one of my proud possessions is a FORTRAN manual for the IBM 709. It isn't called FORTRAN I because no one had yet contemplated a II. No, I never wrote for a 709; the closest I got was converting IBM 7094 code to run on the UNIVAC 1108.

There are some interesting, obsolete features. The FREQUENCY statement preceded optimizing compilers, and indeed PRAGMA or other human-judgment features in other languages. FREQUENCY follows an IF statement, and expresses the programmer's expectation of the frequency with which each branch will be taken. The compiler would use this information to order the comparisons in machine code. Howard C. Berkowitz 17:20, 3 August 2009 (UTC)

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