Re: Fortran To ADA

[dweller@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM (David Weller)]

In article <SRCTRAN.94Nov1075025@world.std.com>,
Gregory Aharonian <srctran@world.std.com> wrote:
>
>>I don't normally read this group but I have an ADA question.  Someone in my
>>organization has inquired about a tool to convert Fortran to ADA.  Does such
>>a tool(s) exist?  Any pointers would be most helpful.
>
>Such tools offer little cost benefit over translating the code by hand (along
>with a good EMACS-like editor) because of the idiosyncracies of Fortran (like
>tricks played with COMMON blocks, lack of builtin Complex math system, and
>Fortran's freedom to pass any part of an array to a subroutine).
>
True, but translating the "imperative" code isn't as bad as it may
seem.  THe bottom line is that you CAN get SOME translation by using
automatic tools, but you must first carefully evaluate how many
"dangerous" occurrences of FORTRAN you have and adjust expectation of
benefits accordingly.  Like any other engineering effort, all forms
of redesign should be considered before taking action.

>The Fortran-to-Ada tool found in the repositories and CDROMs, that tool that
>came out of the WWMCCS Ada tool effort, was released to the public because it
>was worthless.
>
I agree with Greg here.  It really is useless.  The FORTRAN
translator we have at CAE-Link works pretty well, but we can't give
it away, and the chimps we have in business suits (we call them The
Marketing Department) don't believe there's a market for a halfway
decent Fortran-Ada translator.  There probably isn't, but this is
just another example of a fairly decent tool that's buried in another
company, never to escape.


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