Anybody knows the best compiler for BOTH C and Fortran77 on Windows 2000? The application is mainly for graphics. Thanks.

-Selina

i'd say the best one is the free one

You can get a free fortran77 compiler in Salford

(1). I am still writing programs in Window98. (2). I am using VC++, writing Window programs using MFC library and graphics. (3). The operation of VC++ is very efficient, because it actually write most of the program skelton for you. You just add portion of the program to the automatically created program. And that saves you a lot of time.(a lot) (4). The other choice is Visual Basic, it can handle the same thing easily, but the execution speed is slower than VC++.(but easier to program) (5). The 3-D graphics will be more complex, and you need to use OpenGL library or DirectX 3-D library.(from VC++ naturally) (6). So, I would say that VC++ is the standard language (or compiler) to use on MS Window systems. In other words, it is a all-in-one system.

Sorry John, but I must disagree with you on building your code with the application Wizard. At this moment, I am working on a code that was written by somebody else using the application wizard that come with VC++. This is a piece of crap. It causes me awfull headaches. It is realy hard to understand the parts that were written with the app wizard. VC++ and digital fortran are good compilers and they come witgh a nice IDE. But, if you intend to let other developers work on your code I suggest not using the application wizard (humans will always be smarter that computers....).

(1). I agree with you that the machine generated code is very hard to understand. (2). Actually, as a programmer of VC++, I have never tried to read the machine generated part of the code. (3). I only write my part of the code, and insert it in the space allocated for the programmer. You can't put your code anywhere. It must be placed only in the specific area. (4). So, don't try to read the VC++ code written by Application Wizard, unless you are already a MS MFC expert. A windows program is highly complex, and many tasks are hidden from the programmer. (5). There are several level of codes you can write using VC++, (a). Old style DOS (console) program with line command input, (b). Windows program without using MS MFC class library, (c). Windows program using MS MFC class library, (d). Windows program using MS MFC class library and Application Wizard, Class Wizard. (6). Windows program is not developed for others to read the source code, it is developed for a programmer to write a user-friendly code. (7). My suggestion is: if you are trying to write a code for others to read or modify, then simple DOS version is the way to go. (non-windows program)

Everything, you wrote was clever. But, it is possible to design a Windows program and use MFC functions for the API without the application wizard.

(1). It is a hard way to learn MFC. (2). So, in reality, people use Application Wizard and Class Wizard. (3). It is the same reason why Visual Basic is so popular. You let the program to write code for you. (4). But to learn MFC, you will have to learn each class and its functions first.

Thanks.

I agree. I have VC++, so all I have to do is buying a new Fortran compiler for Windows 2000, and I am going to use Pro Compaq Fortran. By the way, I should invert my current graphics to OpenGL in a year or two. Have you ever used VC++ along with OGL.

Selina Tracy.

Yes I did. It can be done in three ways:

1) use the GLUT library without any MFC classes and be able to compile your code with any UNIX system along with a WIN9.X system (this the way I prefer)

2) use the wgl extensions along with MFC classes. Your api will be better but you won't be able to export your code.

3) use wxindows classes (or other open source API classes available both win9.X and unix). You will also be able to export your code.

(1). OpenGL Programming Guide,Mason Woo, (2). OpenGL Programming for the X Window System ,Mark Kilgard, (3).OpenGL Programming for Windows 95 and Windows NT,Ron Fosner (4).OpenGL SuperBible, Richard Wright.Jr. (5).These are all very good books. The last one is very good with many samples. The first one is the official user's guide. And you can also visit the OpenGL homepage, with tutorials.

Hello Sebastien,

Sorry, Sebastien, but I disagree with your opinion in the last sentence, erhh, not the one about the humans and the computers, but the question what code is easier to understand. Sure, the automatically generated stuff is not really easy to understand, but it is a kind of standard reused and reused many times, it is quite well documented. To understand what goes on under the hood in the MFC I recommend "Programming Windows with MFC" by Jeff Prosise to start. This might be sufficient for most of the things we (engineers and scientists) demand from a nice GUI. I beieve hand-written code gave me a lot more headaches than the MFC stuff generated by the App wizard. Anyway, I' d like to add that there are two nice developer sites I would like to mention, you can find all kinds of VC++ related stuff, free code samples and so on: www.codeguru.com and www.codeproject.com.

Have fun,

Olivier

"In C we encoded our own bugs, in C++ we inherit them"

I agree that the application Wizard will speed up things when building a small or medium code. But, if you desing a code that will be modified by others it is not as usefull and can lead to major problems. But, it might be possible to use it wisely if you have a very good understanding of the tool. I had some experiences with codes written by others who, I beleive, were not aware that the code would one day be maintained by others...

Hello Seb,

Using the app wizard always speeds up things, whatever the size of your project is. But I agree with you that one should be aware of what it does for you at any moment. I suggest to anyone to read (at least) the Prosise (or Kruglinskys Inside VC++) to know what the wizard does for you. So you can use it to generate code efficiently if appropriated, and enhance your code to your needs afterwards. In fact I think app wizard is quite poor in handling non-mfc things, but that is definetely not what it was made for. Finally it' s like any other tool. You don't have to use a CNC-milling machine to drill a single hole, if you have 10.000 flanges with 12 holes each, it might be worth a reflection...

Cheers

Olivier