Guide to Fortran Programming Language | Fortran Tutorial

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Fortran, or FORTRAN in all capital letters, stands for Formula Translation. Fortran programming is one of the earliest programming languages made for doing math and science on computers. Even though it's old, people still use it. Back in 1954, a guy named John Backus and his IBM team started making Fortran. They shared a manual about it in 1956, and the first compiler (a tool to turn human-written code into machine language) came out in 1957.

Understanding Fortran Programming Language

Scientists often use it for physics, fluid dynamics (studying how liquids and gases move), and predicting the weather with numbers. When discussing the fastest supercomputers on Earth, Fortran often plays a significant role.

Fortran is a computer language that's good at doing math and science stuff on computers. Although not widely used outside of scientific fields, it is helpful for scientific tasks like weather prediction, financial trading, etc. People who use Fortran are good at science and numbers.

When you write a program in Fortran, you must perform a step called 'compilation.’ It's different from languages like Python or R, where you can just run your code without this extra step. If we talk about the example Fortran code is Recursive Routines.

Advantages of Fortran Programming Language

The following section will elaborate on some benefits of FORTRAN.

• Fortran is the best language for dealing with numbers. It is precise and perfect for scientific research, engineering, simulations, and math.
• Fortran provides tools to identify and correct errors for beginners who work on large projects. As a result, it is savvy because it helps save time and makes sure your programs work well.
• You can team up Fortran with other languages like C++ or Python with the help of special libraries.
• Fortran can go on different types of computers like Linux, Windows, and macOS without any problems.
• Since Fortran is open source (which means it's free for everyone), you can find tutorials and guides easily.
• Fortran keeps things simple. It doesn't have too many fancy rules or weird symbols, making it less confusing for beginners.
• The Fortran community is always ready to help. They have lots of valuable stuff you can use, like pre-made code for different tasks.

Uses of Fortran Programming Language

We all know that the example Fortran program is the use of a DATA statement. Here, we will describe the Fortran applications and uses in the real world.

• Fortran is for big and complex jobs that need a lot of power.
• In science, Fortran works effortlessly. It can mimic things like how liquids move or how airplanes fly.
• Fortran is great with bulky sets of data. When you have a large amount of information that needs to be analyzed or presented, it is the most effective option.
• It manages risks or finds the best way to invest money in finance.
• Fortran isn't just for big computers; it's the best for small ones. It's used in tiny gadgets, making them effective.
• Fortran helps pretend to fly in airplanes by simulating how they work. It's also used in space missions, figuring out how to send spacecraft where we want.
• The immense computers on Earth love Fortran. It helps them with complicated tasks like understanding the tiniest particles or exploring space secrets.

Further, we will elaborate on Fortran and C++ programming languages in the upcoming section.

Fortran VS C++

• C++ is an object-oriented and full-featured language, especially in organizing and reusing code.
• Fortran lacks the advanced features of C++, making code reuse less efficient.
• C++ makes it great for organizing and managing information in a program.
• Fortran programming can pretend to play with objects using its TYPE and MODULE features, but it's not as good at sharing and reusing code as C++. On the other hand, C++ is excellent at sharing and reusing code, which means less work for programmers.
• Fortran is not as good at this, so programmers perform more work using the same code in different places.
• Both languages have features, but Fortran has some unique ones that C++ doesn't.
• You can bring some of Fortran's features into C++ using special code libraries, but doing the opposite is trickier.
• Fortran doesn’t contain a "template" that makes C++ code efficient and easy to reuse.
• You'd need to change its language rules sufficiently to make Fortran look and act like C++.
• Making C++ look like Fortran is easier because you can add Fortran features using unique code.

Once we have a clear understanding, we can proceed with our learning.

Fortran VS Python

The following section will elaborate on the difference between Fortran programming and Python.

• Fortran is faster as compared to Python (with NumPy and SciPy). But Python is often fast enough for most tasks.
• Matlab is another tool people use, but it's not as quick as Python. For drawing graphs, Python has an extension called Matplotlib.
• If you're serious about working with numbers, Fortran 95 is the best programming language to learn. But, use Fortran only where it's needed because it's not good at anything else.
• Only a tiny bit of your code usually needs Fortran. Less than 1% of all the lines you write might benefit from Fortran's special powers over NumPy.
• You can be a coding wizard by using both Python and Fortran together.
• You can make Python talk to Fortran using a tool called f2py, so you get the best of both worlds.

Concluding Words

When it comes to numerical calculations, choosing the suitable programming language is like selecting the right tool for a job. Fortran programming is considered the best language for math-related tasks. However, Python, with the help of its companions NumPy and SciPy, is a strong competitor. It may not be as fast as Fortran, but for many people, it's speedy enough. Matlab, on the other hand, is not as fast as Python. Each language has its own pace, with Fortran being the fastest, Python coming close behind, and Matlab striving to catch up.