FORTRAN is the #$%&ing devil!

Whether you're a newbie or an experienced programmer, any questions, help, or just talk of any language will be welcomed here.

Moderator: Coders of Rage

Post Reply
User avatar
Falco Girgis
Elysian Shadows Team
Elysian Shadows Team
Posts: 10294
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 2:04 pm
Current Project: Elysian Shadows
Favorite Gaming Platforms: Dreamcast, SNES, NES
Programming Language of Choice: C/++
Location: Studio Vorbis, AL
Contact:

FORTRAN is the #$%&ing devil!

Post by Falco Girgis »

I swear to god, the STUPID, braindead douche who invented FORTRAN is probably burning right now.

Fortran has officially earned the permanent title as the MOST meaningless and useless, pathetic language ever. The most simple of things in ANY language (hell maybe even ASM) proves to be a #$%&ing pain in the ass in fortran. Fortran is like everything you hate about every freaking language on the planet (particularly blitz) crammed together.

My dad's college homework was simply to make a loop that kept asking for input until the user pushed enter without typing anything in and displayed an everage. I've worked for about an hour and a half, and I've given up.

Lemme tell you of some of the limits. 7 letter variables, apparently you can't add two variables, just a variable + a const.

Just every little thing.

Code: Select all

PRINT *, 'Look at me, I'm a fortran programmer!'
READ *, VARABLE

IF (VARABLE .EQ. "SOMETHING")
    PRINT *, 'Holy crap! an IF statement worked'
ENDIF
I'm sure that wouldn't work, but I don't care. I'm not even going to try to make it work. That's just basically how it works, except I have to define the program name, and do all of this other gay stuff.

The syntax is ugly, C/C++/Perl/JavaScript/PHP/VisualBasic/Java/Python/Anything else on the planet, EVEN BlitzPlus ownz it by a long shot. It is SO pointless. Why would you ever freaking do anything on fortran EVER? Those limits, it's monstrosity? I'd rather code everything in nothing but 100% ASM than that.
Last edited by Falco Girgis on Sun Oct 31, 2004 9:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
MarauderIIC
Respected Programmer
Respected Programmer
Posts: 3406
Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2004 3:05 pm
Location: Maryland, USA

Post by MarauderIIC »

IIRC, it's extremely super highly optimized for extreme calculations. Used in programs for engineering.
I realized the moment I fell into the fissure that the book would not be destroyed as I had planned.
User avatar
JS Lemming
Game Developer
Game Developer
Posts: 2383
Joined: Fri May 21, 2004 4:09 pm
Location: C:\CON\CON

Post by JS Lemming »

Well, how do you do extreme calculations if you can't even add 2 variables?
Small girl at the harbor wrote:Look Brandon, that crab's got ham!
User avatar
vmrob
Chaos Rift Cool Newbie
Chaos Rift Cool Newbie
Posts: 97
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:13 pm

Post by vmrob »

I agree. it is evil. but like maurador said: it is good for calculations.

i downloaded a molecular dynamics simulator and it is qriten in fortran. i can't use it .. i don't know how.
User avatar
Falco Girgis
Elysian Shadows Team
Elysian Shadows Team
Posts: 10294
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 2:04 pm
Current Project: Elysian Shadows
Favorite Gaming Platforms: Dreamcast, SNES, NES
Programming Language of Choice: C/++
Location: Studio Vorbis, AL
Contact:

Post by Falco Girgis »

Yes, but nowadays languages like C/++ would be even better for calculations because of the ease at which you can perform them. Even if C/++ isn't as optimized for calculations (it sure is more optimized for everything else), it is still better in every way IMO.

FORTRAN was good -- what, 50 years ago? Why the hell don't they teach the chemists and chemical engineers an alive, thriving language that'll actually be useful? At the end of the book it says:

The next step is to learn the C programming language because it is better in blah blah blah...
User avatar
vmrob
Chaos Rift Cool Newbie
Chaos Rift Cool Newbie
Posts: 97
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:13 pm

Post by vmrob »

i want to join the cult!!!!

anyways. fortran is evil. i can't understand it. and it was built 50 years ago so.....

c++: umfig?
User avatar
Falco Girgis
Elysian Shadows Team
Elysian Shadows Team
Posts: 10294
Joined: Thu May 20, 2004 2:04 pm
Current Project: Elysian Shadows
Favorite Gaming Platforms: Dreamcast, SNES, NES
Programming Language of Choice: C/++
Location: Studio Vorbis, AL
Contact:

Post by Falco Girgis »

Fine, welcome to the cult of David bowie, my brother.
User avatar
vmrob
Chaos Rift Cool Newbie
Chaos Rift Cool Newbie
Posts: 97
Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2004 5:13 pm

Post by vmrob »

god loves me today.
Post Reply