Date sent: Fri, 28 Jul 2000 06:07:54 -0600
Subject: Porting mainframe Fortran codes to a PC ?
From: "Terry E. Koontz" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Send reply to: "Terry E. Koontz" <[log in to unmask]>
> We are planning to move our IBM mainframe Fortran programs to PCs using
> Microsoft windows. I need to replace the mainframe frond-end IBM DMS panels with
> PC GUI/forms. Also I'll need to generate XY plots. We use IBM GDDM and ADMCHART
> on the mainframe.
Interactive Software Services (ISS) provides two products: INTERACTER and
WINTERACTER. My own graphics porting experience (of several years ago now) was
to port a well written but limited in-house graphics software package to
INTERACTER. This port has been successfully extended and enhanced over several
years now.
INTERACTER has the advantage that the same source code will work consistently
across a number of compiler/operating system platforms. However, ISS now
recommend that new PC/Linux applications make use of WINTERACTER to give a true
MS windows/Motif look and feel. Continuing development of INTERACTER appears to
be under a cloud. Note, however, that WINTERACTER is written in Fortran90
(which wont be a problem if you are using CVF).
Both INTERACTER and WINTERACTER facilitate a comprehensive range of GUI
facilities: string I/O, menus, forms, low level graphics and high level
presentation graphics for the more common types of plots such as XY plots. The
only significant deficiency I have encountered is there is no built-in support
for a scrolling console window.
If you do not do so already, I strongly recommend that whatever graphics
library you employ, develop your own graphics library routines to interface
between whichever third party graphics library you choose and your application
software. This makes porting and changing to a better graphics library at a
later date so much easier. (Remember MS Windows wont be with us forever, even
if it feels like it will now :)
And we have a lot of REXX scripts that will need replaced.
> Also what about the accuracy of the Fortran computed values. We currently use
> IBM Fortran on a IBM VM mainframe and want to go to Compaq Visual Fortran.
>
> Does anyone have experience with porting Fortran from a mainframe to a PC.
> Any suggestions on packages to use for front-ending and back-ending the Fortran
> codes ?
>
> Thanks
>
> Terry Koontz
> Thiokol Propulsion
> Elkton, MD
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
Regards,
David.
----------------------------------------------------------
David Vowles
Research Officer
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
The University of Adelaide
Australia 5005
Voice: +61 8 8303 5416
Fax: +61 8 8303 4360
Email: [log in to unmask]
Home Page: http://www.eleceng.adelaide.edu.au/Personal/dvowles/home.html
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