25 Nov. 2000
> Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000 11:08:53 -0700
> From: "Hjalmarson, Harold P." <[log in to unmask]>
> At 07:23 AM 11/24/2000, [log in to unmask] wrote:
>
> >There has been a few comments, recently, from vendor compiler engineers,
> >complaining that bug reports should be sent to the proper support
> >provided by the vendor, and not to comp-fortran-90.
> >
> >I understand the frustration of the compiler engineers, when hearing of a
> >bug for the first time on a mailing list.
> >However, there is often another side of the story.
> >Most of the time, a dysfunction is not clearly identified as a bug.
> >Users do not always have a copy of the Standard, and even if they do,
> >it is not so easy to understand.
>
> Yet another side to this story occurs when one is using the Sun
> compiler. Under our support agreement, the report must be made by
> designated system administrators. Thus I've had to make phone calls and
> write email to start the process. Then a Sun administrative person
> communicates with me about the details. Then generally there is a long
> delay until this person asks me for even more details. At no point do I
> actually get any advice in the first few days of an encounter with Sun
> support. At some point I solve the problem myself or get advice from
> another source such comp-fortran-90.
>
> In the cases when the Sun engineers have noticed my postings to
> comp-fortran-90, the process led to some useful responses from Sun. (Also,
> I've received communications from Sun managers stating that the process
> will be improved.) In the other cases, I got regular requests to supply
> more information or allow the "case" (I forget what Sun calls it) to be
> closed. For each of these I allowed the case to be closed after developing
> a work-around to the problem.
Probably not a good idea. If there really is a compiler bug, then it's still
there waiting to strike again.
Better to let the manufacturer to work through it and to resolve it.
> >Bertrand MELTZ
> ---
> Harold P. Hjalmarson
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