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Conference turris::fortran

Title:Digital Fortran
Notice:Read notes 1.* for important information
Moderator:QUARK::LIONEL
Created:Thu Jun 01 1995
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1333
Total number of notes:6734

1235.0. "Some suggestions to reference pages" by SUBPAC::FARICELLI () Wed Mar 19 1997 17:05

   I was helping someone in my group port a modified SPICE to Alpha/
   Digital Unix. All seems OK, but I have two small requests to the reference
   pages.

   1) Could you mention the -taso ld option in the f77/f90 reference pages?
      The f77 driver seems to take it and do the right thing with it.
      I don't like the cc(1) text, it should say something like:
      "helps port programs that assume addresses can fit in 32-bit variables"

   2) Could you consider adding a few words of explanation to the text
      explaining the -g option:

  -g2 or -g    Produces traceback and symbolic debugging information in the
               object file.  This option sets the -O0 option.  However, if
               you specify an explicit -O option, the specified option is
               effective.

   to (suggest)

  -g2 or -g    Produces traceback and symbolic debugging information in the
               object file.  This option sets the -O0 option, which turns
               off all compiler optimization. This is done in order to make
               debugging more accurate.  However, if
               you specify an explicit -O option, the specified option is
               effective.

   -- John Faricelli
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1235.1QUARRY::nethCraig NethThu Mar 20 1997 09:277
>  1) Could you mention the -taso ld option in the f77/f90 reference pages?
>      The f77 driver seems to take it and do the right thing with it.
>      I don't like the cc(1) text, it should say something like:
>      "helps port programs that assume addresses can fit in 32-bit variables"

Could you elaborate on what you don't like about the cc(1) text so that
I can ask the writer to fix it?
1235.2"useful for porting 32-bit programs" too broadSUBPAC::FARICELLIThu Mar 20 1997 11:1811
  The -taso option on the cc(1) man page says in conclusion:

  "The -taso flag is useful for porting 32-bit programs to DEC OSF/1"

  "useful for porting 32-bit programs" is a bit too broad for my tastes.
  I'd prefer what I wrote in my base note, something like
  "helps port programs that assume addresses can be stored into
  32-bit variables (e.g. assigning a pointer to an int)."

  -- John
1235.3NotedQUARRY::nethCraig NethThu Mar 20 1997 13:284
re: .2:

QAR # 52099 has been entered on your behalf, and assigned to the cc(1)
manpage maintainer.
1235.4And fixedQUARRY::nethCraig NethFri Mar 21 1997 10:059
re: .2, I just got this:

Thank you for this QAR.

The text in the cc(1) manpage has been changed to reflect the
changes suggested in the QAR.  The changes will appear in the
PTmin/V4.0D version of the manpage.

\kch -- 3/21/97
1235.5We'll see....SUBPAC::FARICELLIFri Mar 21 1997 12:279
   We'll see. I suggested changes to the cc(1) man page regarding
   -ieee/-ieee_with_no_inexact, and after a QAR, several emails
   regarding the wording, there seems to be no change in the man page.

   -- John 



1235.6QUARRY::nethCraig NethFri Mar 21 1997 15:439
I just talked to the maintainer and he assures me the change to -taso
is in place.   As for -ieee, he could not remember any specific conversation
with you.    The -ieee documenation was extensively reorganized in V4.0, with
most of the obscure stuff being moved off to it's own man page.
(-ieee_with_no_inexact is not even mentioned on the cc(1) man page anymore).

Could you please look at the V4.0 cc man page; if you still have objections
please make them known so we can get them addressed.

1235.7Some day, I'll get to read itSUBPAC::FARICELLIFri Mar 21 1997 17:2010
   I don't have access to any V4 systems, some day.

   My main objection is that the cc(1) man page vis-a-vis -ieee_xxxx
   told you all the flags, preprocessor macros, etc. that were set,
   but never told you what the heck "inexact" meant. Or the very large
   performance hit -ieee_with_inexact causes on EV4 systems.

   -- jf

1235.8QUARRY::nethCraig NethFri Mar 21 1997 17:2320
> Or the very large
>   performance hit -ieee_with_inexact causes on EV4 systems.

Right.  That's part of what got fixed in V4.0.   Here is part of the
text on the ieee(3) page:


"  If your program uses the constants IEEE_TRAP_ENABLE_INE or IEEE_STATUS_INE,
  you are using the inexact result feature of the IEEE floating-point stan-
  dard.  Assembly language programmers can access the inexact result feature
  by using the sui suffix on floating-point instruction opcodes.  C language
  programmers can access the inexact result feature by replacing the -ieee
  flag to the cc command with the -ieee_with_inexact flag.  On some Alpha
  implementations the inexact result feature is implemented by trapping to a
  software emulator.  Using sui floating-point instructions or the
  -ieee_with_inexact flag might cause a significant drop in performance on
  such implementations.  Because of this, you should use the inexact result
  feature only in those few program statements where inexact signaling is
  needed.
"
1235.9okTLE::WHITLOCKStan WhitlockMon Mar 24 1997 11:135
RE: .0

I'll put those on the list of stuff to fix in the f77(1) and f90(1) man pages.

Thanks			/Stan