Albero Fasso said:
> > - every program unit contains IMPLICIT NONE
> > - every module starts with PRIVATE
> > as a convention/programming style. Pity these two are not defaults.
> > I'd like to be able to say "Not just a good idea - it's the LAW!" ;-)
>
> Let me disagree with this widespread point of view.
> Fortran is great because it leaves you freedom. If you want to program
> safely, nobody can stop you; but I like to be left the choice to myself.
> Not everybody writes huge programs all the time: I am using Fortran
> every day, but most of the time to write small programs (I use it very
> often instead of a pocket calculator or of a shell script). In these
> cases I am not willing to waste my time declaring all variables,
> including the index of the do-loop which sometimes constitutes my whole
> program.
> The implicit type convention is extremely useful for this kind of "scrap
> paper" calculations. When I have to write a "serious" program then
> things are different, and I take seriously IMPLICIT NONE, indentation,
> comments, etc. But please, forget unnecessary constraints and especially
> the LAWs: we are all adults, not schoolchildren.
>
Can I strongly support this position. When I suggested something
similar to this list ~2 years ago I was privately mailed some notes
of support, but was flamed on the list!
Such "Laws" could be enforced by compiler switches for those who want
them, surely?
Mike Hardy
Lecturer
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
University of Edinburgh
EH9 3JN
UK
tel. +44 0131 650 5728
fax. +44 0131 667 9238
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