Article View: comp.lang.fortran
Article #4559Fortran on Windows NT Questionnaire
From: Joe Wild
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1993 21:55
Date: Wed, 06 Jan 1993 21:55
663 lines
20661 bytes
20661 bytes
Please respond to raven@zko.enet.dec.com. I will post a summary of the
responses when available.
Joe
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TO: Fortran Programmers DATE: 5 January 1993
FROM: Mary Elizabeth Raven
Digital Equipment Corporation
PHONE: USA 1-603-881-2430
ENET: Raven@zko.enet.dec.com
Subject: Questionnaire about Fortran
The Fortran team at Digital Equipment Corporation is
developing Fortran for the Windows NT operating system. You can help us
try to meet your Fortran needs by completing this 66-question survey.
This questionnaire should take from 20 to 35 minutes to fill out.
Your answers will be used as input to the design of Fortran
for the Windows NT operating system. The information you provide will
be used only by the Fortran team. Feel free to comment on any questions or
to qualify your answers. We also appreciate suggestions for improving the
questionnaire. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact
me at the above phone number or e-mail address.
Please return this questionnaire by January 12 to:
Raven@zko.enet.dec.com.
or print it out and mail it to:
Mary Elizabeth Raven
110 Spit Brook Rd. ZK2-3/K35
Digital Equipment Corporation
Nashua, NH 03062 USA
Each person who responds electronically on or before January 12 will
receive an electronic copy of "Zen and the Art of the Internet" by Brendan
P. Kehoe as a token of our appreciation.
Please forward this survey to any other Fortran users!
Thank you for your help in understanding the needs of Fortran users.
********************************************************
Fortran for the Windows NT OS: A Survey
********************************************************
For each question in this section, type an x to the left of *ONE*
response that best represents your situation.
1. Do you (or your organization) plan to develop applications for or on
the Windows NT operating system?
__ Yes, I am already developing with a preliminary version
__ Yes, within 6 months of its official availability
__ Yes, 6 months to a year after Windows NT is officially available
__ Yes, more than a year after Windows NT is officially available
__ Yes, but I don't know when
__ I don't know
__ No (If no, please continue anyway.)
Comments:
2. What size *INPUT* data sets do you usually work with?
__ Less than one megabyte
__ One megabyte to a gigabyte
__ More than one gigabyte but less than a terabyte
(terabyte=10**12 bytes)
__ One or more terabytes
Comments:
3. What size *OUTPUT* data sets do you usually work with?
__ Less than one megabyte
__ One megabyte to a gigabyte
__ More than one gigabyte but less than a terabyte
__ One or more terabytes
Comments:
4. Approximately how many lines of code is your typical Fortran
program (program= all the compilable units taken together)?
__ Less than 100
__ 101 to 1,000
__ 1,001 to 10,000
__ 10,001 to 100,000
__ 100,001 to 1 million
__ Over 1 million
Comments:
5. Approximately how many source files is your typical Fortran
program (program= all the compilable units taken together)?
__ 1-10
__ 11-100
__ 101-500
__ More than 500
Comments:
********************************************
For each question in this section, type an x to the left of *AS MANY*
responses as apply to your situation.
6. I have used these products during the last year.
__ DEC FORTRAN
__ Lahey FORTRAN
__ HP UX FORTRAN
__ IBM AIX FORTRAN
__ Microsoft FORTRAN
__ Sun FORTRAN
__ Watcom FORTRAN
__ Other Fortran product (Specify)__________
Comments:
7. What platforms do you currently use to HOST your development
(that is, where you do your development work).
__ Windows NT
__ UNIX or other systems based on the UNIX system
__ VMS
__ Windows 3.x
__ MS-DOS
__ OS/2
__ Others (Specify)___________
Comments:
8. Which packages have you used in the past year?
__ IMSL (International Math and Statistics Library)
__ NAG (Numeric Analysis Group)
__ Graphics libraries (Specify:)______________________________________
__ Others (Specify: _______________)
Comments:
9. Do you build software for
__ Internal use (You and your colleagues use it)
__ Products to be sold to a mass market
__ Products to be sold to a Vertical or niche market
__ Customers who hire me on a contract basis
__ Other (Specify: ________________)
Comments:
10. From what sources do you usually obtain information about
competing compiler systems?
__ Journals for my profession
(Specify: ___________________)
__ PC magazines
(Specify: ___________________)
__ Other magazines or journals
(Specify: ___________________)
__ Usenet/Internet
__ CompuServe or similar services
__ Colleagues
__ Other (Specify: ___________________)
****************************************************
For the following questions, rank the responses using a scale of 1-6,
where 1 is the most important and 6 is the least important.
11. Please rank the following criteria for selecting a *DEBUGGER*.
__ I can debug multi-language applications
__ I can debug in the current module's language
__ The debugger has an easy-to-use graphical user interface
__ The debugger supports debugging multi-threaded applications
__ The debugger is fast
__ Other (specify)__________________
Comments:
12. Please rank the following criteria for selecting a *PROFILER*
__ The profiler presents information with source-line granularity
__ The profiler handles highly optimized code
__ The profiler formats reports so that they are easy to read
__ The build is the same for profiling and non-profiling
__ The profiler allows me to do benchmarking
__ Other (specify)__________________
Comments:
13. Please rank the following criteria for selecting a
source-navigation-and-viewing-tool (browser)
__ The browser has a graphical presentation of the hierarchy
__ The browser lets me construct the hierarchy graphically
(point, drag, click)
__ The browser is well-integrated with other tools (debugger, editor)
__ The browser is fast
__ The browser filters portions of the hierarchy in or out
__ Other (specify)__________________
Comments:
**************************************
For each of the statements in this section, type an x to the left of
the phrase that best represents how you feel about the item.
14. The price of the Fortran compilation system for the Windows NT operating
system is competitive with prices for similar compilation systems
(for example, DOS or Windows software prices).
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
15. The development system has a graphical user interface.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
16. The development system is easy to learn.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
17. The development system improves programmer productivity (compared
to the product(s) you currently use).
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
18. The development system allows me to use the text editor of my choice.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
19. I can write C/C++ programs that can call Fortran packages.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
20. I can write Fortran programs that can call C/C++ packages.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
21. The compiler flags the use of nonportable extensions.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
22. I can compile the same programs without changes on multiple platforms.
__ Extremely important
Specify platforms:_____________________
__ Important
Specify platforms:_____________________
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
23. I can develop on inexpensive platforms (e.g., MS-DOS) and run on fast
platforms (e.g., Cray).
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
24. I have fast turnaround for edit-build-debug.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
25. The debugger works equally well on programs that are written part in
C/C++ and part in Fortran.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
26. The compiler can provide array-bounds checking.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
27. The compiler can flag uninitialized variables.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
28. The compiler points to the source of the error.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
29. The linker points to the source of the error.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
30. I can execute a compile and see the results in the editor.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
31. I get online help when and where I need it.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
32. I get online help for features I seldom use.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
33. I can use resources on the network to speed up compilations.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
34. The development system has an automatic builder/maker.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
35. I can customize the makefile created by the builder/maker.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
36. I can call the Win32 API (Application Programming Interface) from Fortran.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
37. I can write "TTY" style (console input/output) programs that run under
Windows without any coding changes.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
38. I can write one graphical user interface and have it work on Motif,
MS Windows, Presentation Manager, OS/2 and OpenLook.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
39. I have an easy way to visualize my output data (e.g., convert a
matrix into a two-dimensional graph).
__ Extremely important
Give Example:
__ Important
Give Example:
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
40. The programs I develop run for months or longer without failing.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
41. Small programs produce small executable files.
__ Extremely important.
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
42. Releases of the development environment keep up with the latest
release of Windows NT.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
43. The vendor fixes bugs within 2 or 3 months or less.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
44. The vendor supplies an electronic means of getting Fortran support
(e.g., Internet, CompuServe, BBS).
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
45. The vendor supplies toll-free telephone support during which I
don't get put on hold for more than 5 minutes.
__ Extremely important
__ Important
__ Neutral
__ Not important
__ Not at all important
Comments:
46. I spend most of my time adapting old code (opposed to writing new
code).
__ Strongly agree
__ Agree
__ Neutral
__ Disagree
__ Strongly Disagree
Comments:
47. I would like a compiler option that speeds up compile time
by doing fewer optimizations.
__ Strongly agree
__ Agree
__ Neutral
__ Disagree
__ Strongly Disagree
Comments:
48. I prefer to work with a compiler that *automatically* generates
VERY GOOD code rather than a compiler that can generate *superb*
code but requires more manual intervention.
__ Strongly agree
__ Agree
__ Neutral
__ Disagree
__ Strongly Disagree
Comments:
49. UNICODE support is important to my application.
__ Strongly agree
__ Agree
__ Neutral
__ Disagree
__ Strongly Disagree
Comments:
50. It is acceptable to me for the compilation system to create applications
targeted to run on Microsoft Windows but not targeted to just
DOS (without Windows).
__ Strongly agree
__ Agree
__ Neutral
__ Disagree
__ Strongly Disagree
Comments:
51a. Do you expect to have two or more developers sharing the same PC?
__ Yes, all the time or almost all the time
__ Sometimes
__ No, never
__ Don't know
Comments:
b. If yes or sometimes, do you expect to use the security features
of NT so that different developers on the same PC will have different
access to the compiler or source files?
__ Yes, all the time or almost all the time
__ Sometimes
__ No, never
__ Don't know
Comments:
52. For the applications that you are building, do you expect to have two or
more users sharing the same PC?
__ Yes, all the time or almost all the time
__ Sometimes
__ No
__ Don't know
Comments:
b. If yes or sometimes, do you expect to use the security
features of NT so that different users on the same PC will have
different access to the application or its files?
__ Yes, all the time or almost all the time
__ Sometimes
__ No
__ Don't know
Comments:
53. Do you expect to have multiple instances of your application running
at the same time and sharing the same files (either as separate
processes on one PC or as processes on different PCs, sharing files over a
network?
__ Yes, all the time or almost all the time
__ Sometimes
__ No
__ Don't know
Comments:
54. Do you use a librarian. (A librarian combines .obj files into a .lib
file.)
__ Yes, all the time or almost all the time
__ Sometimes
__ No, never
__ Don't know
Comments:
**************************************************
55. Please type the *PERCENTAGE* of total development time you will
spend developing for each of the following TARGET platforms in THE
NEXT SIX MONTHS.
__ Windows NT
__ UNIX or other systems based on the UNIX system
__ VMS
__ Windows 3.x
__ MS-DOS
__ OS/2
__ Other (Specify)___________
Comments:
56. If you could spend 100 "units" on new compiler
features, how would you allocate them? (Type a number next to each
item; numbers should add up to 100.)
__ Improve the integration of the development environment
__ Make full builds faster
__ Make generated code smaller
__ Make generated code faster
__ Add new language features
__ Provide a source-code browser
__ Improve the debugger
__ Improve the profiler
__ Other (Specify:______________)
Comments:
57. If you could pull Fortran freeware from a network or BBS, what types of
things would you pull?
58. How many programmers are working on YOUR CURRENT Fortran project?
(Choose one.)
__ 1-5
__ 6-10
__ 11-25
__ Over 25
Comments:
59. You are a (Choose one.)
__ Consultant/Contractor in programming or software engineering
__ Manager
__ Programmer/Software Engineer for a company/institution
__ Scientist
__ Other (Specify:____________)
60. Do YOU make the decision to purchase a compiler or development
environment? (Choose one.)
__ Yes
__ Sometimes
__ I don't make the decision but I influence it.
__ No
Comments:
61. Where do you usually buy your software? (Choose one.)
__ Through our computer vendor's sales representative
__ Mail order from a computer vendor
__ Mail order from retail software companies (e.g., PC Connection)
__ Local PC stores (e.g., Egghead, CompUSA)
__ Other (Specify: _____________)
62. Are you interested in being a field test site for Digital
Fortran for the Windows NT operating system?
__ Yes
__ Maybe
__ No
63. May we contact you to ask you follow-up questions?
__ Yes
__ No
64. May we contact you to ask you to participate in a focus group?
__ Yes
__ No
Name (optional):
Phone (optional):
Enet (optional):
Address (optional):
65. Please add any other comments you would like us to consider
about Fortran for the Windows NT operating system.
66. I want my electronic copy of "Zen and the Art of the
Internet" in (choose one):
__ A PostScript file
__ A text (ASCII) file
__ Do not send me a copy
************************************
Thank you for completing the survey and returning it to:
Raven@zko.enet.dec.com
______________________________________________________________________________
Microsoft, MS, Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
OpenLook and Sun are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
OS/2 is a trademark licensed to Microsoft Corporation.
PostScript is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.
Presentation Manager is a trademark of International Business Machines Corp.
UNIX is a registered trademark of UNIX System Laboratories, Inc.
VMS is a trademark of Digital Equipment Corporation.
WATCOM is a trademark of WATCOM Systems, Inc.
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<1993Jan6.215523.11278@nntpd.lkg.dec.com>Path:
arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!haven.umd.edu!decuac!pa.dec.com!engage.pko.dec.com!e2big.mko.dec.com!nntpd.lkg.dec.com!igor!wildShow Full Headers
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Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!haven.umd.edu!decuac!pa.dec.com!engage.pko.dec.com!e2big.mko.dec.com!nntpd.lkg.dec.com!igor!wild From: wild@tle.enet.dec.com (Joe Wild) Subject: Fortran on Windows NT Questionnaire Message-ID: <1993Jan6.215523.11278@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> Sender: wild@igor (Joe Wild) Reply-To: raven@zko.enet.dec.com (Mary Elizabeth Raven) Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 21:55:23 GMT Lines: 663