Lahey Computer Systems is pleased to announce the release of version 5.6 of
our LF95 compiler.  Version 5.6 offers best-of-class diagnostics, improved
Fortran 90 performance, and dramatically faster file I/O.

"The new version is the *first* compiler to score 100% on our [Polyhedron's]
diagnostic tests - including all of the run-time undefined variable tests,
assumed size array bound violations, non-conformant array assignment and
dangling pointer errors. It also shows some significant performance
improvements on our Fortran 90 benchmarks." -- John Appleyard, Polyhedron
Software.

New features in 5.6 include:
- Diagnostic capabilities: LF95 now passes 100% of Polyhedron's diagnostic
tests. New diagnostics include the following:
   - Enhanced runtime and compile-time diagnostics for -CHK option.
   - Global compile diagnostics with new -CHKGLOBAL option.

- Executable speed improvements: loop optimization is improved when -O1 is
specified, FORALL and DOT_PRODUCT statement processing is faster, and
evaluation of the exponentiation operator (**) is faster.

- File I/O speed improvements: Two to four times faster than competing
compilers on unformatted sequential and direct files.  Faster on formatted
sequential too.

- New OPEN statement specifier to convert big endian and IBM/370 file
formats (and new corresponding specifier in INQUIRE statement).

- Windows 2000 compatibility.

- Fortran 2000 Standard (proposed) feature: ALLOCATABLE attributes on array
components of structures, dummy arrays, and function results.

- New -CHK arguments to control compiler diagnostics: Includes checking for
uninitialized variables!

- Ability to set default target language name-decoration/calling convention
for all program units with new -MLDEFAULT option.

- Ability to exclude non-standard Lahey intrinsic procedures with new -NLI
option: Helps avoid name conflicts in porting projects.

- Character variable length limit increase from 65000 to 2147483647
characters.

- New VOLATILE statement and attribute porting extensions.

- New variable format expression porting extension (VAX).

- f90SQL-Lite: A library of Fortran-callable procedures that allows you to
read data from and write data to databases and spreadsheets.

- New Lahey ED Developer toolbar buttons: "Optimized LF95 build," "Debug
LF95 Build," and "Technical Support Questionnaire."

- File splitter (LFsplit) to divide each program unit into separate source
files.

- More mixed-language programming examples.

- Technical Support Questionnaire program: Automatically guides you through
gathering appropriate information for formulating technical support
inquiries.

- Automatic online updates from Lahey's web site (during and after
installation).

- New revision of the User's Guide.

- New version of Winteracter Starter Kit (WiSK), including:
   - Winteracter 2.20 base.
   - The status bar of each window can now be sub-divided into multiple
parts using a new routine.
   - WindowOutStatusBar ability to center or right justify text.
   - Color can now be specified as a direct 24-bit RGB value via IGrColourN.
   - IGrPaletteRGB argument for 'realization' of the screen palette to be
postponed.
   - New information function has been added which allows interrogation of
Winteracter's device independent 8-bit graphics color palette.
   - The layout of the current dialog can be printed using the Print option
on the Dialog menu.
   - If a dialog has a system menu then the DialogEd icon is shown at the
left its title bar in test mode.
   - The re-order fields option in DialogEd has been modified to
automatically set the Group flag for the first field in each block of fields
of the same type.
   - New revision of the WiSK Reference manual

- New features in SSL2 (Scientific Subroutine Library):
   - Linear calculations:
     - (D)VLTQR: System of linear equations with real tridiagonal matrix (QR
factorization)
     - (D)VQMRD: System of linear equations with an unsymmetrical or
indefinite sparse real matrix (QMR method, diagonal storage format)
     - (D)VQMRE: System of linear equations with an unsymmetrical or
indefinite sparse real matrix (QMR method, ELLPACK storage format)
     - (D)VTFQD: System of linear equations with an unsymmetrical or
indefinite sparse real matrix (TFQMR method, diagonal storage format)
     - (D)VTFQE: System of linear equations with an unsymmetrical or
indefinite sparse real matrix (TFQMR method, ELLPACK storage format)
   - Eigenvalues and eigenvectors:
     - (D)VLAND: Eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a real symmetric sparse
matrix (Lanczos method, diagonal storage format)
     - (D)VTDEV: Eigenvalues and eigenvectors of real tridiagonal matrix
   - Transforms:
     - (D)VWFLT: Wavelet filter generation
     - (D)V1DWT: One-dimensional wavelet transform
     - (D)V2DWT: Two-dimensional wavelet transform

- Improvements to Sampler Tool

- Improvements to Coverage Tool

For more information, please see www.lahey.com or contact our sales
department at [log in to unmask]

--
Bob Runyan
Lahey Computer Systems






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