[Info-vax] FORTRAN use, was: Re: Whither VMS?

[norm.raphael at metso.com]

koehler at eisner.nospam.encompasserve.org (Bob Koehler)  wrote on 10/15/2009 
10:47:11 AM:

> In article <paul.nospam-DE86B9.22512614102009 at pbook.sture.ch>, "P. 
> Sture" <paul.nospam at sture.ch> writes:
> > 
> > I started with computers in 1977. RPG II was the development language, 

> > with COBOL for the payroll (bought in) package.
> > 
> > Next step was with PDP's (Hurrah!) using DIBOL (Digital Business 
> > Oriented Langauge). DIBOL was essentially a mix of COBOL and FORTRAN, 
> > and a very productive tool.
> 
>    There were always exceptions.  In 1977 I was still doing FORTRAN-IV
>    (aka Fortran-66) on my first PDP-10.   COBOL, DIBOL, ... you don't
>    do physics with those.
> 
You people are taking me way, way back. 

I started using FORTRAN I on an IBM 1620 at school in 1963.  On my first 
job, we modified that compiler (and called it FORTRAN 1.5) by adding 
pseudo-FORMAT-statements a la FORTRAN II using function calls (two per 
output variable, one for the variable and one for the FORMAT), because 
the computer did not have a hardware divide instruction (it was emulated) 
and the published FORTRAN II compiler required the later model that did 
have hardware divide.  Output was tab cards or the console IBM selectric.
Life moved more slowly back then.