Description #
Fortran (short for Formula Translation) is one of the oldest high-level programming languages, primarily used in scientific, engineering, and numerical computing. It is known for its speed, stability, and precision in mathematical computations.
History #
Fortran was developed in the 1950s by IBM, with the first version released in 1957. It was created to simplify programming for mathematical and scientific tasks and quickly became the dominant language in science and engineering. Over the decades, Fortran has evolved through multiple versions — including Fortran IV, 77, 90, 95, 2003, 2008, and the current standard, Fortran 2018 — each adding modern features like modules, object-oriented programming, and parallel processing support.
Hello World Code #
program hello
print *, "Hello, World!"
end program hello
How to Run #
Option 1: Online
Option 2: Local
Install GNU Fortran (gfortran):
sudo apt install gfortranSave as hello.f90 and compile:
gfortran hello.f90 -o hello
./helloKey Concepts #
- Strong numerical performance
- Compiled and statically typed
- Designed for array and matrix operations
- Supports modular programming
- High-performance computing (HPC) standard
- Object-oriented features in later versions
- Used in climate models and physics simulations
- Efficient memory management
- Parallel processing with OpenMP/MPI
- Long-standing legacy in scientific institutions
Try It Online #
Fun Facts #
- NASA and national labs still use Fortran for legacy and performance reasons.
- It was the first compiled high-level programming language ever created.
- Many supercomputers use Fortran for benchmarking scientific performance.
