[Info-vax] Is C++ good in scientific computation? Why did Fortran lose its popularity?

[Jan-Erik Söderholm]

Den 2021-01-29 kl. 15:47, skrev Bill Gunshannon:
> On 1/28/21 6:02 AM, Joukj wrote:
>> Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>>
>>> Fortran is still widely used in that field.
>>>
>>> A lot is also done in R and Python, but that because there
>>> is a need for something higher level.
>>>
>>> Some is done in C and C++, but I don't think it is more than
>>> what can be considered natural given that it is two mainstream
>>> languages.
>>>
>>> There is also some Java, because even though Java has some
>>> problems in this field, then most of the big data foundational
>>> stuff is Java.
>>>
>> That's also what I see here at the university in Delft. Big packages we 
>> use for quantum-mechanical calculation (i.e. Vasp & Abinit) are written 
>> in Fortran.
>> My own programs are normally programmed in a mixture of Fortran/C/C++ 
>> (Fortran for the core calculations, C++ for the user-interface and C to 
>> interact with the system by system-utilities)
>>
>> However, since companies use Python very often, students have to learn 
>> it, and that is what they (only) know and tend to use.
>>
> 
> As an interesting aside to this discussion, Numerical Algorithms Group
> still puts out a version of their Library for Fortran and, in fact, on
> the website under "Language and Environment Availability" Fortran still
> comes first.
> 
> I have used it extensively and still have a copy of the tape from the
> very early 80's floating around here somewhere.

That is a good point. Maybe even a floating point...


> 
> bill
>