Fortran

[Roy Smith]

In article <871tw0s2kl.fsf at elektro.pacujo.net>,
 Marko Rauhamaa <marko at pacujo.net> wrote:

> Tomasz Rola <rtomek at ceti.pl>:
> 
> > Given that Fortran is here for almost 60 years and lot of effort has
> > been spent to keep it backwards compatible (AFAIK), I wouldn't hold my
> > breath.
> 
> I have seen a glimpse of the so-called scientific computing and Fortran
> programming. I can't help but think that Fortran is successful with
> people who don't know how to program and don't care.
> 
> That's fine. If I were to build a cyclotron, I bet the Fortran coders
> would smile at my clumsy efforts.

It is fine.  Computers are tools.  The sign of a good tool is that you 
can pick it up and use it without having to read the instruction manual.  
I can jump into pretty much any car, start the engine, and drive it, 
without any learning curve.  There's a lot of complicated organic 
chemistry and thermodynamics going on inside the engine's combustion 
chambers, but I don't need to know any of that to make use of the tool.