Basic HTML version of Foils prepared June 11 99

Foil 6 What is the Alternative?

From Overview of Java Grande Forum DoD HPC Modernization Users Group Tutorial Monterey Californi -- June 7 99. by Geoffrey C. Fox


So most existing Grande codes are written in Fortran or C with a clearly unattractive and comparatively unproductive programming environment
These current languages and tools are sufficient but does not seem likely that can build much better environments around them
  • Fortran77 has excellent compilers, good user base but will not be taught broadly and clearly limited in capabilities; in particular not object oriented
  • Fortran90 and HPF do not look as though they will "make it"
  • Subsume discussion of C under that of C++
Five years ago, it looked as though C++ could become language of choice (perhaps with Fortran as inner core) but this appears stalled
  • The language is complex and no agreement on Grande standards?
  • Java halted C++ (in HPCC) "bandwagon" even though capabilities of C++ has advanced quite significantly



© Northeast Parallel Architectures Center, Syracuse University, npac@npac.syr.edu

If you have any comments about this server, send e-mail to webmaster@npac.syr.edu.

Page produced by wwwfoil on Tue Jul 6 1999