Fortran, short for Formula Translation, is a high-level programming language designed for numerical and scientific computing. It was one of the first programming languages and is still widely used today in areas such as computational physics, weather forecasting, and engineering simulations.
Syntax
Fortran code is written in columns, with specific columns reserved for certain purposes (e.g., columns 1-5 for statement labels).
Variables in Fortran are statically typed and must be declared with a specific type before use.
Fortran uses keywords like DO for loops and IF for conditional statements.
Arrays are a fundamental data structure in Fortran, and array operations are heavily optimized for performance.
Functions and subroutines are defined using the FUNCTION and SUBROUTINE keywords, respectively.
Developer Toolchain
Compilers: Popular Fortran compilers include GNU Fortran (gfortran), Intel Fortran Compiler (ifort), and IBM XL Fortran.
Integrated Development Environments (IDEs): IDEs like Visual Studio Code, Eclipse, and IntelliJ IDEA have plugins that support Fortran development.
Debuggers: Debugging Fortran code can be done using tools like GDB (GNU Debugger) or integrated debuggers in IDEs.
Profiling Tools: Tools like gprof can be used to profile Fortran code and identify performance bottlenecks.
Libraries: Fortran developers often use numerical libraries like LAPACK, BLAS, and FFTW for high-performance computing tasks.