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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Vienna FORTRAN: A FORTRAN language extension for distributed memory multiprocessors

Exploiting the performance potential of distributed memory machines requires a careful distribution of data across the processors. Vienna FORTRAN is a language extension of FORTRAN which provides the user with a wide range of facilities for such mapping of data structures. However, programs in Vienna FORTRAN are written using global data references. Thus, the user has the advantage of a shared memory programming paradigm while explicitly controlling the placement of data. The basic features of Vienna FORTRAN are presented along with a set of examples illustrating the use of these features.

Chapman, Barbara↗
NASA NTRS1992

Fortran for the nineties

Fortran has largely enjoyed prominence for the past few decades as the computer programming language of choice for numerically intensive scientific, engineering, and process control applications. Fortran's well understood static language syntax has allowed resulting parsers and compiler optimizing technologies to often generate among the most efficient and fastest run-time executables, particularly on high-end scalar and vector supercomputers. Computing architectures and paradigms have changed considerably since the last ANSI/ISO Fortran release in 1978, and while FORTRAN 77 has more than survived, it's aged features provide only partial functionality for today's demanding computing environments. The simple block procedural languages have been necessarily evolving, or giving way, to specialized supercomputing, network resource, and object-oriented paradigms. To address these new computing demands, ANSI has worked for the last 12-years with three international public reviews to deliver Fortran 90. Fortran 90 has superseded and replaced ISO FORTRAN 77 internationally as the sole Fortran standard; while in the US, Fortran 90 is expected to be adopted as the ANSI standard this summer, coexisting with ANSI FORTRAN 77 until at least 1996. The development path and current state of Fortran will be briefly described highlighting the many new Fortran 90 syntactic and semantic additions which support (among others): free form source; array syntax; new control structures; modules and interfaces; pointers; derived data types; dynamic memory; enhanced I/O; operator overloading; data abstraction; user optional arguments; new intrinsics for array, bit manipulation, and system inquiry; and enhanced portability through better generic control of underlying system arithmetic models. Examples from dynamical astronomy, signal and image processing will attempt to illustrate Fortran 90's applicability to today's general scalar, vector, and parallel scientific and engineering requirements and object oriented programming paradigms. Time permitting, current work proceeding on the future development of Fortran 2000 and collateral standards will be introduced.

Himer, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Developing CORBA-Based Distributed Scientific Applications from Legacy Fortran Programs

Recent progress in distributed object technology has enabled software applications to be developed and deployed easily such that objects or components can work together across the boundaries of the network, different operating systems, and different languages. A distributed object is not necessarily a complete application but rather a reusable, self-contained piece of software that co-operates with other objects in a plug-and-play fashion via a well-defined interface. The Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA), a middleware standard defined by the Object Management Group (OMG), uses the Interface Definition Language (IDL) to specify such an interface for transparent communication between distributed objects. Since IDL can be mapped to any programming language, such as C++, Java, Smalltalk, etc., existing applications can be integrated into a new application and hence the tasks of code re-writing and software maintenance can be reduced. Many scientific applications in aerodynamics and solid mechanics are written in Fortran. Refitting these legacy Fortran codes with CORBA objects can increase the codes reusability. For example, scientists could link their scientific applications to vintage Fortran programs such as Partial Differential Equation(PDE) solvers in a plug-and-play fashion. Unfortunately, CORBA IDL to Fortran mapping has not been proposed and there seems to be no direct method of generating CORBA objects from Fortran without having to resort to manually writing C/C++ wrappers. In this paper, we present an efficient methodology to integrate Fortran legacy programs into a distributed object framework. Issues and strategies regarding the conversion and decomposition of Fortran codes into CORBA objects are discussed. The following diagram shows the conversion and decomposition mechanism we proposed. Our goal is to keep the Fortran codes unmodified. The conversion- aided tool takes the Fortran application program as input and helps programmers generate C/C++ header file and IDL file for wrapping the Fortran code. Programmers need to determine by themselves how to decompose the legacy application into several reusable components based on the cohesion and coupling factors among the functions and subroutines. However, programming effort still can be greatly reduced because function headings and types have been converted to C++ and IDL styles. Most Fortran applications use the COMMON block to facilitate the transfer of large amount of variables among several functions. The COMMON block plays the similar role of global variables used in C. In the CORBA-compliant programming environment, global variables can not be used to pass values between objects. One approach to dealing with this problem is to put the COMMON variables into the parameter list. We do not adopt this approach because it requires modification of the Fortran source code which violates our design consideration. Our approach is to extract the COMMON blocks and convert them into a structure-typed attribute in C++. Through attributes, each component can initialize the variables and return the computation result back to the client. We have tested successfully the proposed conversion methodology based on the f2c converter. Since f2c only translates Fortran to C, we still needed to edit the converted code to meet the C++ and IDL syntax. For example, C++/IDL requires a tag in the structure type, while C does not. In this paper, we identify the necessary changes to the f2c converter in order to directly generate the C++ header and the IDL file. Our future work is to add GUI interface to ease the decomposition task by simply dragging and dropping icons.

Sang, Janche↗
DOE OSTI2026

Fortran mimetic abstraction language (Formal) v0.1.

The Fortran mimetic abstraction language ("Formal") is a domain-specific language (DSL) embedded in Fortran 202Y [1]. Formal provides novel software abstractions for simulating phenomena governed by the partial differential equations (PDEs) of vector and tensor calculus. Such equations model an extremely broad set of physical phenomena, ranging from atmospheric winds to light propagation. Formal's data structures and algorithms mimic in form and behavior continuous functions and operators. Formal supports these mathematical constructs using mimetic discretizations that define a discrete calculus satisfying various tensor calculus theorems, thereby ensuring high-fidelity representations of the physics being modeled. [2] Formal 0.1.0 also lays a foundation for the future use of Fortran 202Y type-safe templates to facilitate the formal verification of tensor contractions in computational physics and artificial intelligence [3]. [1] "Fortran 202Y" is Fortran standard committee's informal designation for the next Fortran revision, which will likely be "Fortran 2028". [2] Corbino, J. and Castillo, J. (2020) Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cam.2019.06.042. [3] Haveraaen, M., Järvi, J., & Rouson, D. (2019). Reflecting on Generics for Fortran. https://j3-fortran.org/doc/year/19/19-188.pdf.

Rouson, Damian [Lawrence Berkeley National Laborat↗
DOE OSTI2024

Parallel Runtime Interface for Fortran (PRIF): A Multi-Image Solution for LLVM Flang

Fortran compilers that provide support for Fortran’s native parallel features often do so with a runtime library that depends on details of both the compiler implementation and the communication library, while others provide limited or no support at all. This paper introduces a new generalized interface that is both compiler- and runtime-library-agnostic, providing flexibility while fully supporting all of Fortran’s parallel features. The Parallel Runtime Interface for Fortran (PRIF) was developed to be portable across shared- and distributed-memory systems, with varying operating systems, toolchains and architectures. It achieves this by defining a set of Fortran procedures corresponding to each of the parallel features defined in the Fortran standard that may be invoked by a Fortran compiler and implemented by a runtime library. PRIF aims to be used as the solution for LLVM Flang to provide parallel Fortran support. This paper also briefly describes our PRIF prototype implementation: Caffeine.

Bonachea, Dan↗
NASA NTRS1995

NAS Experiences of Porting CM Fortran Codes to HPF on IBM SP2 and SGI Power Challenge

Current Connection Machine (CM) Fortran codes developed for the CM-2 and the CM-5 represent an important class of parallel applications. Several users have employed CM Fortran codes in production mode on the CM-2 and the CM-5 for the last five to six years, constituting a heavy investment in terms of cost and time. With Thinking Machines Corporation's decision to withdraw from the hardware business and with the decommissioning of many CM-2 and CM-5 machines, the best way to protect the substantial investment in CM Fortran codes is to port the codes to High Performance Fortran (HPF) on highly parallel systems. HPF is very similar to CM Fortran and thus represents a natural transition. Conversion issues involved in porting CM Fortran codes on the CM-5 to HPF are presented. In particular, the differences between data distribution directives and the CM Fortran Utility Routines Library, as well as the equivalent functionality in the HPF Library are discussed. Several CM Fortran codes (Cannon algorithm for matrix-matrix multiplication, Linear solver Ax=b, 1-D convolution for 2-D datasets, Laplace's Equation solver, and Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) codes have been ported to Subset HPF on the IBM SP2 and the SGI Power Challenge. Speedup ratios versus number of processors for the Linear solver and DSMC code are presented.

Saini, Subhash↗
NASA NTRS1994

A Fortran-90 Based Multiprecision System

The author has developed a new version of his Fortran multiprecision computation system that is based on the Fortran-90 language. With this new approach, a translator program is not required - translation of Fortran code for multiprecision is accomplished by merely utilizing advanced features of Fortran-90, such as derived data types and operator extensions. This approach results in more reliable translation and also permits programmers of multiprecision applications to utilize the full power of the Fortran-90 language. Three multiprecision datatypes are supported in this system: multiprecision integer. real and complex. All the usual Fortran conventions for mixed mode operations are supported, and many of the Fortran intrinsics, such as SIN, EXP and MOD, are supported with multiprecision arguments. This paper also briefly describes an interesting application of this software, wherein new number-theoretic identities have been discovered by means of multiprecision computations.

Bailey, David H.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Application of Modern Fortran to Spacecraft Trajectory Design and Optimization

In this paper, applications of the modern Fortran programming language to the field of spacecraft trajectory optimization and design are examined. Modern object-oriented Fortran has many advantages for scientific programming, although many legacy Fortran aerospace codes have not been upgraded to use the newer standards (or have been rewritten in other languages perceived to be more modern). NASA's Copernicus spacecraft trajectory optimization program, originally a combination of Fortran 77 and Fortran 95, has attempted to keep up with modern standards and makes significant use of the new language features. Various algorithms and methods are presented from trajectory tools such as Copernicus, as well as modern Fortran open source libraries and other projects.

Trajectory Optimizatio↗
DOE OSTI2025

Parallel Runtime Interface for Fortran (PRIF) Specification (Rev. 0.6)

This document specifies an interface to support the multi-image parallelism features of Fortran, named the Parallel Runtime Interface for Fortran (PRIF). PRIF is a solution in which a runtime library is primarily responsible for implementing coarray allocation, deallocation and accesses, image synchronization, atomic operations, events, teams and collective subroutines. The Fortran compiler is responsible for transforming the invocation of Fortran-level multi-image parallelism features into procedure calls to the necessary PRIF subroutines. The interface is designed for portability across shared- and distributed-memory machines, different operating systems, and multiple architectures. Implementations of this interface are intended as an augmentation for the compiler's own runtime library. With an implementation-agnostic interface, alternative parallel runtime libraries may be developed that support the same interface. One benefit of this approach is the ability to vary the communication substrate. A central aim of this document is to define a parallel runtime interface in standard Fortran syntax, which enables us to leverage Fortran to succinctly express various properties of the procedure interfaces, including argument attributes.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2023

Framework for Extensible, Asynchronous Task Scheduling (FEATS) in Fortran

Most parallel scientific programs contain compiler directives (pragmas) such as those from OpenMP, explicit calls to runtime library procedures such as those implementing the Message Passing Interface (MPI), or compiler-specific language extensions such as those provided by CUDA. By contrast, the recent Fortran standards empower developers to express parallel algorithms without directly referencing lower-level parallel programming models. Fortran’s parallel features place the language within the Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS) class of programming models. When writing programs that exploit data-parallelism, application developers often find it straightforward to develop custom parallel algorithms. Problems involving complex, heterogeneous, staged calculations, however, pose much greater challenges. Such applications require careful coordination of tasks in a manner that respects dependencies prescribed by a directed acyclic graph. When rolling one’s own solution proves difficult, extending a customizable framework becomes attractive. The paper presents the design, implementation, and use of the Framework for Extensible Asynchronous Task Scheduling (FEATS), which we believe to be the first task-scheduling tool written in modern Fortran. We describe the benefits and compromises associated with choosing Fortran as the implementation language, and we propose ways in which future Fortran standards can best support the use case in this paper.

Modern Fortran↗
DOE OSTI2024

Parallel Runtime Interface for Fortran (PRIF) Specification (Rev. 0.5)

This document specifies an interface to support the parallel features of Fortran, named the Parallel Runtime Interface for Fortran (PRIF). PRIF is a proposed solution in which the runtime library is primarily responsible for implementing coarray allocation, deallocation and accesses, image synchronization, atomic operations, events, teams and collective subroutines. In this interface, the compiler is responsible for transforming the invocation of Fortran-level parallel features into procedure calls to the necessary PRIF subroutines. The interface is designed for portability across shared- and distributed-memory machines, different operating systems, and multiple architectures. Implementations of this interface are intended as an augmentation for the compiler's own runtime library. With an implementation-agnostic interface, alternative parallel runtime libraries may be developed that support the same interface. One benefit of this approach is the ability to vary the communication substrate. A central aim of this document is to define a parallel runtime interface in standard Fortran syntax, which enables us to leverage Fortran to succinctly express various properties of the procedure interfaces, including argument attributes.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1980

Comparison of and conversion between different implementations of the FORTRAN programming language

A guideline for computer programmers who may need to exchange FORTRAN programs between several computers is presented. The characteristics of the FORTRAN language available on three different types of computers are outlined, and procedures and other considerations for the transfer of programs from one type of FORTRAN to another are discussed. In addition, the variance of these different FORTRAN's from the FORTRAN 77 standard are discussed.

Treinish, L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Lessons learned in the transition to ADA from FORTRAN at NASA/Goddard

A case study was done at Goddard Space Flight Center, in which two dynamics satellite simulators are developed from the same requirements, one in Ada and the other in FORTRAN. The purpose of the research was to find out how well the prescriptive Ada development model worked to develop the Ada simulator. The FORTRAN simulator development, as well as past FORTRAN developments, provided a baseline for comparison. Since this was the first simulator developed here, the prescriptive Ada development model had many similarities to the usual FORTRAN development model. However, it was modified to include longer design and shorter testing phases, which is generally expected with Ada development. One surprising result was that the percentage of time the Ada project spent in the various development activities was very similar to the percentage of time spent in these activities when doing a FORTRAN project. Another surprising finding was the difficulty the Ada team had with unit testing as well as with integration. In retrospect it is realized that adding additional steps to the design phase, such as an abstract data type analysis, and certain guidelines to the implementation phase, such as to use primarily library units and nest sparingly, would have made development much easier.

Brophy, Carolyn Elizabeth↗
NASA NTRS1989

Lessons learned in the transition to Ada from FORTRAN at NASA/Goddard

Two dynamics satellite simulators are developed from the same requirements, one in Ada and the other in FORTRAN. The purpose of the research was to find out how well the prescriptive Ada development model worked to develop the Ada simulator. The FORTRAN simulator development, as well as past FORTRAN developments, provided a baseline for comparison. Since this was the first simulator developed, the prescriptive Ada development model had many similarities to the usual FORTRAN development model. However, it was modified to include longer design and shorter testing phases, which is generally expected with Ada developments. One result was that the percentage of time the Ada project spent in the various development activities was very similar to the percentage of time spent in these activities when doing a FORTRAN project. Another finding was the difficulty the Ada team had with unit testing as well as with integration. It was realized that adding additional steps to the design phase, such as an abstract data type analysis, and certain guidelines to the implementation phase, such as to use primarily library units and nest sparingly, would have made development easier. These are among the recommendations made to be incorporated in a new Ada development model next time.

Brophy, Carolyn Elizabeth↗
NASA NTRS1992

Programming in Vienna Fortran

Exploiting the full performance potential of distributed memory machines requires a careful distribution of data across the processors. Vienna Fortran is a language extension of Fortran which provides the user with a wide range of facilities for such mapping of data structures. In contrast to current programming practice, programs in Vienna Fortran are written using global data references. Thus, the user has the advantages of a shared memory programming paradigm while explicitly controlling the data distribution. In this paper, we present the language features of Vienna Fortran for FORTRAN 77, together with examples illustrating the use of these features.

Chapman, Barbara↗
NASA NTRS2018

A Single Thread to Fortran Coarray Transition Process for the Control Algorithm in the Space Radiation Code HZETRN

Exa-scale computing is the direction by industry and government are going to generate solutions to problems they deem necessary. Computing hardware is being developed to achieve the transition from Peta-scale to Exa-scale with more CPUs (Central Processing Units) that have more cores per CPU and more accelerators (GPGPUs (General Purpose Graphics Processing Units) and MICs (Many Integrated Cores)) per node. To fully utilize the hardware available now and in the future, algorithms must become multi-threaded. There are a few methods to generate multi-threaded software such as MPI (Message Passing Interface) and OpenMP (Multi-Processing) / OpenACC (ACCelerator). This paper concentrates on using Coarray Fortran to convert the Fortran 95 based HZETRN (High Z and Energy TRaNsport) code's control algorithm from a single threaded code to a multithreaded code. The resultant Coarray code was 32.5 times faster (with a theoretical speed-up of 74.5 times) than the single threaded version on the hardware tested, as reliable as the Fortran 95 version, and, as it uses native Fortran, was as maintainable as the Fortran 95 version. The Coarray code can be maintained by the same project engineers and scientists who created the original single threaded code. This transition process can be utilized on a C language based code with a compiler that has the UPC (Universal Parallel C) extensions to C.

Singleterry, Robert C., Jr.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Generic Programming in Fortran 202Y

Back in 2018, the Fortran committee began planning new features for what is now expected to be Fortran 2023, "generic programming" was at the top of the list of requests from the user community. Here, generic programming refers to the ability to specify algorithms that are parameterized in terms of deferred _types_ (as opposed to values). Concrete algorithms are subsequently generated when the generic algorithms are "instantiated" with specific types. After significant consideration the language committee decided that the necessary changes to Fortran to support generic programming would be too large and complex to complete within a single release cycle of the standard. Instead, a new "generics" subgroup was formed with myself as the lead, and we were charged with developing generic programming features for the subsequent release _after_ the F2023, internally referred to as Fortran 202Y. I.e, the new subgroup was provided the luxury of developing the new capabilities across two full release cycles of the standard. This talk will describe the current approach to generics being pursued by the subgroup as well as the current status halfway through the development cycle. I will conclude with some motivating examples implemented with notional syntax.

Fortran↗