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2-S0CKS t1_j0c3j2a wrote

Reply to comment by left_shift12 in C Programming Language Influence Graph [OC] by yaph

I worked with Fortran in my MSc thesis that I'm currently finishing the revision writing for. The freshwater lake model FLake runs on it, calculating vertical temperature structure and mixing conditions in lakes

I didnt programm in it but the model helped me a lot

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mmomtchev t1_j0dhelf wrote

Fortran still refuses to die when it comes to mathematical models. Even the latest generation weather models are still mostly Fortran.

Everyone hates, everyone wants to move to something else, but it is still very difficult to completely replace it.

There have been quite a few contenders during the years - C/C++, Python, R and now Julia - but they all lag behind the parallel processing of the Fortran libraries. It is very difficult changing an established base.

This is why C refuses to die too - it is so tightly integrated with the UNIX system that you simply cannot avoid it.

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2-S0CKS t1_j0di1f1 wrote

Ah is it the parallel processing? Thats interesting. And yeah I can confirm more weather models (mathematical indeed) use it too

Julia sounds interesting, I had never heard of it before. Is it "new"?

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mmomtchev t1_j0gilav wrote

The parallel processing and the libraries - especially LAPACK.

All those libraries for FORTRAN are of very high quality with state of the art parallel processing.

Scientific parallel processing is a niche market, there isn't that much money in it and the development is very difficult.

It will take decades for Julia to catch up - which of all languages is currently the most probable successor.

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szychacha94 t1_j0dsbdw wrote

I don't know what you consider new, but few years ago when I was still working on my thesis Julia was in beta testing I believe. Nice concept at the that time a bit immature but they had few years to improve that.

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2-S0CKS t1_j0dtybz wrote

Yeah thats what I'd consider new. Thanks, all very interesting stuff

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