Drew McCormack wrote:
> I realize they are coming in the latest
> standard, but it will be several years before there will be widespread
> support in compilers, I expect.
That depends on user demand. Polymorphic variables (pointers and
dummies) are not *that* hard to implement. Especially polymorphic
pointers, and especially CLASS(*) ones. It is harder to implement
type-bound procedures (dynamic dispatch). Then harder to implement
parameterized derived types. Etc. (although how hard may depend on
previous compiler infrastructure of course).
So it does not have to take "several years". It is possible in fact to
implement the features piecewise, and in fact I hope this is what will
happen. I would actually hope something that is a technical report, and
not formally part of F2003, gets implemented first: submodules! And
maybe even some of the simpler features we are adding now to F2008.
Aleks
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