Calling FORTRAN from C (Was: Need matrix inversion C routine).

[Norman Diamond]

In article <17333 at mimsy.UUCP> chris at mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) writes:

>It is clear that no one language standard can constrain any *other*
>language, and that therefore no one standard (for Fortran, C, PL/I,
>APL, Lisp, DDL, rog-o-matic, or whatever) can require inter-language
>calls.  It requires an inter-language standard to do this.

True

>Good luck on getting together an inter-language standard ... you will
>certainly need it.

When DEC did exactly this, around 10 years ago, luck did not seem to be
part of it.  Of course, they had trouble integrating C with the rest of
it, because other languages only specified WHAT gets done by various
language constructs, but K&R added HOW it must be done for their
language.  (This must be the ultimate worst mistake that K&R made in
their specification of the C language.)  However, some wheels do not
really require re-invention, nor do they require luck if you want to
read about the existing invention before doing yours.

Seems a lot of people hate DEC because DEC learned their lessons before
everyone else did....

--
Norman Diamond, Sony Computer Science Lab (diamond%csl.sony.co.jp at relay.cs.net)
  The above opinions are my own.   |  Why are programmers criticized for
  If they're also your opinions,   |  re-inventing the wheel, when car
  you're infringing my copyright.  |  manufacturers are praised for it?