The next Fortran
Jim Wilson · ITNOW · 1985
Abstract Fortran, that sturdy reliable workhorse of scientific computing, is currently undergoing the most radical and far-reaching revision and re-appraisal in its 26 year life. The international Fortran community as a whole, and the X3J3 committee of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in particular, is about to produce a new draft standard - known for the moment as Fortran 8X. It is hoped to release the draft for an extensive public examination early next year, after which it may be modified and then released in final form as the next Fortran standard, probably in 1988. (The name Fortran 88 has a certain familiar ring to it!)