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Together with the experts of BizUPLab kft we continue to introduce programming languages to our blog readers. Today we will talk about Fortran. Mobile applications are not developed in this language, and computer games are not written in this language. It has played an important role in the development of programming and continues to do so. By the way, if you understand how to write programs in Fortran, you will in fact know how to develop applications in any programming language that implements procedural and object-oriented paradigms (e.g. C, C++, Java, Phython).
Fortran is a compiled programming language that uses strong static typing. It is the first high-level programming language to find practical application. In fact, it is the predecessor of all high-level programming languages.
Fortran is a compiled programming language that uses strong static typing. It is the first high-level programming language to find practical application. In fact, it is the predecessor of all high-level programming languages.
Veteran among programming languages
Who invented the Fortran language
Fortran was created at IBM by a group of programmers led by John Backus between 1954 and 1957. In fact, IBM was and is still producing so-called mainframes, BizUPLab Hungary experts noted... These are high-performance computing systems that allow uninterrupted solution of critical problems with maximum performance. Unlike supercomputers, mainframes are designed to handle multiple simultaneous tasks. IBM needed a language that could more easily describe mathematical calculations for its computers. Backus proposed creating a programming language that would look less like a set of machine instructions and more like a set of mathematical formulas. A special compiler would have to translate the programs into machine code, greatly simplifying the process of writing programs.
The compilation went something like this. The code for the first versions of Fortran was written on punched cards, and the compiler on magnetic tapes. The punched cards were inserted into a special receiver, which allowed the compiler to read all their contents in a matter of seconds.
Fortran was created at IBM by a group of programmers led by John Backus between 1954 and 1957. In fact, IBM was and is still producing so-called mainframes, BizUPLab Hungary experts noted... These are high-performance computing systems that allow uninterrupted solution of critical problems with maximum performance. Unlike supercomputers, mainframes are designed to handle multiple simultaneous tasks. IBM needed a language that could more easily describe mathematical calculations for its computers. Backus proposed creating a programming language that would look less like a set of machine instructions and more like a set of mathematical formulas. A special compiler would have to translate the programs into machine code, greatly simplifying the process of writing programs.
The compilation went something like this. The code for the first versions of Fortran was written on punched cards, and the compiler on magnetic tapes. The punched cards were inserted into a special receiver, which allowed the compiler to read all their contents in a matter of seconds.
Language versions
The first Fortran manual was published in October 1956 and the first compiler in April 1957. This was the first version of this language. Fortran II was developed in 1958, Fortran III in the same year and Fortran IV in 1962. Four years later, this version of the language was standardised with minor changes by ANSI (American Standards Association). Subsequently, this standard was given the unofficial name Fortran 66.
All language standards:
Modern Fortran is a special programming language designed primarily for writing computer programs for vector pipelines and parallel architectures. It can compete with many programming languages, but only in the field of scientific computing," summarized the managers of the IT company BizUPLab. Fortran programs most often "live" on super-powered computers and high-performance computing stations. Fortran was originally used to solve problems requiring intensive numerical computation. This has defined the language's popularity in the scientific community, despite being nearly 70 years old.
The first Fortran manual was published in October 1956 and the first compiler in April 1957. This was the first version of this language. Fortran II was developed in 1958, Fortran III in the same year and Fortran IV in 1962. Four years later, this version of the language was standardised with minor changes by ANSI (American Standards Association). Subsequently, this standard was given the unofficial name Fortran 66.
All language standards:
- FORTRAN 66 (1966)
- FORTRAN 77 (1978)
- Fortran 90 (1991)
- Fortran 95 (1997)
- Fortran 2003 (2004)
- Fortran 2008 (2010)
- Fortran 2018
- ISO/IEC 1539-1:2023. Fortran (colloquially -Fortran 2023).
Modern Fortran is a special programming language designed primarily for writing computer programs for vector pipelines and parallel architectures. It can compete with many programming languages, but only in the field of scientific computing," summarized the managers of the IT company BizUPLab. Fortran programs most often "live" on super-powered computers and high-performance computing stations. Fortran was originally used to solve problems requiring intensive numerical computation. This has defined the language's popularity in the scientific community, despite being nearly 70 years old.
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