Basic HTML version of Foils prepared 17 Sept 1996

Foil 3 HPF is an extension of Fortran 90

From New CPS615HPF and Fortran90 Discussion Sept 17 96 Basic Simulation Track for Computational Science CPS615 -- Fall Semester 96. by Geoffrey C. Fox, Tom Haupt


To express data parallelism and so hide machine dependent features of parallel programming from the user
We use Fortran90 as base language both because it is
  • more advanced than Fortran 77 with object oriented features and
  • The array syntax allows an elegant explictly parallel expression of some operations
Use of Fortran90 is a Problem because
  • It is a complex language which it is difficult to build compilers for
  • Not many people use Fortran90 and maybe they will all switch to Java before Fortran90 gets in common practice
  • So perhaps it is "too little too late" and we should focus on supporting the past (Fortran77) and the "correct" future ( (HP)Java) and not an irrelevant middle solution .....



© on Tue Oct 7 1997