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Same Language - Different Compiler

In the preceding sections, reference is often made to ``the way that FORTRAN does something'' or ``the way that C does something''. However, even different compilers for the same language can do things in a different way if the standard does not specify how that something should be done. A reasonable example is that one FORTRAN compiler might represent a true logical value by the integer 1, whereas another might just as reasonably use -1. This is not just a hypothetical problem; the FORTRAN for RISC compiler from MIPS and the DEC FORTRAN for RISC compiler both work on the DECstation and interpret the same number as different logical values. I shall continue to refer to ``the way that FORTRAN does it'', even though it is more correct to refer to ``the way that FORTRAN compiler XYZ implements it''. The distinction is rarely important, but should be borne in mind.



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CNF and F77 Mixed Language Programming -- FORTRAN and C
Starlink User Note 209
P.M. Allan
A.J. Chipperfield
R.F. Warren-Smith
19 January 2000
E-mail:ussc@star.rl.ac.uk