List of basic question.Please Help.

Hi all,
I have just started learning FORTRAN and these are the basic questions
I searched in the net for which I could not find any answers. Hope I
get answers here.
1)Why FORTRAN is considered as the language suitable for computations?
In my opinion all the languages can be used for computations(I am sure
I am wrong )?
2) what is the difference between the following array declarations?
LOGICAL*1    NAME(LENGTH)
LOGICAL      VALUE*1(MAXLEN)
3)Can I change the parameters of the function? If changed will the
change the actual parameters that are passed while calling also gets
changed?
4)What is the difference between the FORMAT codes F,G and E?All I know
is that they are used for real data's.

Thanks,

prashna wrote:
>1)Why FORTRAN is considered as the language suitable for computations?
>In my opinion all the languages can be used for computations(I am sure
>I am wrong )?

Fortran was designed for FORmula TRANslation and has been used for that
since the late 1950s. There are compilers that produce efficient code
for all major computing platforms. The are free, fast, well-tested
libraries such as LAPACK at Netlib http://www.netlib.org and
comprehensive commercial libraries such as IMSL http://www.vni.com and
NAG http://www.nag.com . Complex numbers are one of basic types, and
the handling of arrays is good, especially since the 1990 standard.
Math functions like SIN and EXP are defined for single and double
precision real variables, complex variables, and often quadruple
precision reals. The language is simple enough that non-professional
programmers can quickly learn it.

Other languages are used for computational work. It's partly a matter
of taste.

2) what is the difference between the following array declarations?
LOGICAL*1    NAME(LENGTH)
LOGICAL      VALUE*1(MAXLEN)

>3)Can I change the parameters of the function? If changed will the
>change the actual parameters that are passed while calling also gets
>changed?

Yes and yes, but I recommend using a subroutine in this case.

I recommend that you learn Fortran 95, the latest version of Fortran
for which compilers are available. You can start with the free compiler
called g95 at http://www.g95.org . Fortran 95 compilers will in general
compile Fortran 77 code as well as Fortran 95 code. A good description
of various versions of Fortran is at
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/kis/support/ci...90home.html#1.0 .

A compiler for a Fortran 95 subset called F, designed for students but
also usable for serious work, is free at
http://www.fortran.com/F/index.html . It will not compile Fortran 77
code, but it can link to it.
Fortran tutorials are at
http://www.dmoz.org/Computers/Progr...tran/Tutorials/
.