Fortran 90 pointers vs ``Cray`` pointers
The Fortran 77 standard does not contain pointer facilities, but because of heavy user demand, many Fortran 77 compilers have been extended with ``Cray`` pointers. The demand for pointers in Fortran was heard by the standards committee, X3J3, and a pointer facility was added to the follow-on Fortran standard, Fortran 90. X3J3, for reasons that may soon become apparent, chose not to follow existing practice and specify ``Cray`` pointers, but to standardize a somewhat different pointer facility. Fortran 90 pointers complement the Fortran 90 language; they fit will with the new Fortran 90 array processing and data facilities. The popularity of ``Cray`` pointers indicates that they fit well with Fortran 77, and since Fortran 90 contains all of Fortran 77, it would be possible to extend Fortran 90 processors to accept ``Cray`` pointers as well. This would make it easier for existing codes that use pointers to migrate to new Fortran 90 processors. But is it a good idea for a processor to provide two pointer facilities? How difficult is it to convert from ``Cray`` pointers to Fortran 90 pointers? This paper provides some information that may be helpful in answering these questions.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 10118824
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-ID-108534; ON: DE92007272
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 23 Oct 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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