With respect to legacy Fortran programming the book does an excellent job of covering the ideas of the subject appropriately and provides an effective index.
If the book is intended to be focused on novice programmers or those simply interested in programming the structure of the material may result in a steep learning curve as the content does not build from simple premises (e.g. Software Description: Simply Fortran is a complete Fortran solution for Microsoft Windows and compatible operating systems. As a refresher for those who were familiar with Fortran long ago, the structure of the material is effective. I found the content to be accurate and error-free. Some concepts could be presented more clearly, succinctly, or effectively for novice readers. This is not an easy area to assess with respect to a book about Fortran programming. After all, how relevant is Fortran programming? In some fields and environments, it may be a necessity but that is different from relevant. Learning to program isn't hard but it takes work and time. Consider an easier language to start with, like Java or Java Script. Fortran isn't really a good language to start with, if your learning.
Given the subject matter, the author tries to make the material relevant. The original question asked about the best compilers from Fortran, not a full explanation of the use of Fortrans with respect to Windows. One example is the discussion of a free, open-source compiler available for Fortran users. The challenge there is that the online resources provided by the group supporting the free compiler are obtuse and may present cybersecurity and other risks.Īnother area where the material could be more relevant is in the area of object-oriented programming which, as I understand it, has been a part of the language since Fortran 2003.įinally, some forward-thinking with respect to the potential for Fortran in parallel processing, perhaps on GPUs, would be of interest. The writing style leans more toward academic than toward the instructional or advisory style which novice programmers would prefer. There are some good examples used but they tend to be more typical, academic examples such as The Tower of Hanoi or Monte Carlo simulation.