1. Notables in the transition from Fortran 77 to Fortran 90

Everything that is in Fortran 77 is also in Fortran 90.
Many new statements have been added, some replacing older statements.
Many new statements have been added and give new possibilities.
There are now two forms of the source code. The old source code form, which is based on the punched card, and now called fixed form and the new free form.
These two forms may not be mixed independently but must be separated at the compilation; an old program, (one or several program units in the form of a main program, subroutines or functions), which is compiled in free form, has the possibility to give a different result compared with earlier when it was compiled with fixed form, compilation errors are possible.
In the same program we can mix program units written in fixed form and free form, but each unit must be only in one form and at the compilation both forms may not usually be in the same source file. Some systems using a special directive may permit program units in different form in the same file. The directive then tells the compiler which form is valid.
Some old statements are to be avoided.
It is possible to mix old and new statements, but it is advised to try to be consistent, which means using either the old or the new form for the statement.
Note that when you switch from one compiler to another new errors may occur, because the old compiler was not as strict as the new one. Normally, a new compiler discovers some old errors that were not found earlier. In the specification for Fortran 90 it is required that errors already be found at compilation if this is at all possible.

Exercises

(1.1) Compile and run some of your own small programs with Fortran 90 using fixed form. Get some instructions in Appendix 6, NAG's Fortran 90 or Absoft's Fortran 90.
Comments.

(1.2) Modify the program you have just compiled by replacing comments starting with C or * with comments starting with ! and try to use Fortran 90 free form.
Comments.

(1.3) What happens if the following small program is run using fixed form or using free form?

      LOGICAL L
      L = .FALSE.
      IF (L) THEN Z = 1.0
      ELSE Y = Z ENDIF
      END

Comments.

Last modified: 6 April 1999
boein@nsc.liu.se