THE COMPUTER TRANSITION SYSTEMS
REPORT - MAY 2000

GST = 10% SOFTWARE PRICE INCREASE
For all domestic orders shipped after 30 June GST will apply. Since there was no sales tax on software the consequence is that all software prices will increase by 10%. Those who wish to make certain of delivery before GST comes into effect should place their orders by late May. Compaq frequently takes over a month to ship Visual Fortran. The prices in this newsletter are all before GST. All prices with an asterisk must be increased by 10% after 30 June.

LF95 EXPRESS - now for LINUX as well as Windows
LF95 Express is Lahey's no frills Fortran 95 compiler. It is now available for LINUX as well as Windows. The price is the same for each - $425. This is the same compiler which is in Lahey's LF95 products. With LF95 Express only a command line driven compiler, a command line debugger, a librarian and a linker are supplied. Printed manuals are not provided. However they can be easily produced since they are supplied on a CD in Adobe Acrobat format. LF95 Express should be ideal for those who have no need for the extra facilities (editor, profiler, coverage analysis tool, make, user interface/graphics library, and windows debugger) contained in the standard version of LF95.

TECPLOT NEWS
UPDATE OFFER EXTENDED TO 15 JUNE Almost all Tecplot users in Australia and New Zealand have been contacted directly by Computer Transitions and advised of the special update offer on Tecplot. Originally the offer closed 28 April. This has now been extended to 15 June. The savings over normal update prices are substantial. The update prices are PC Tecplot $650 ($363 academic institutions); PC network Tecplot $820 ($457); UNIX single computer Tecplot $1094 ($594); and UNIX network Tecplot $1410 ($747). Amtec have also advised that for the special offer it is possible to 'down grade' ie the updated Tecplot can be a lesser version. You can update a UNIX network licence to a PC network licence. A number of organizations (particularly universities) have Tecplot for which we have been unable to locate the current end user. If you are interested in Tecplot please contact Computer Transition Systems to see if there is a possibility of updating one of these forgotten copies for your use.
AMTEC WEB SITE Serious users of Tecplot will find it worthwhile to regularly check the Amtec web site (www.amtec.com/Service_pages/Serv1.html) for new information. Included are additional support notes, handy macros, FAQ, sign on for the Tecplot discussion group, licence key change request form, and numerous examples of uses made of the Add-on Tool Kit. The latter include a loader for CGNS data files, an xy mode point extractor, frequency curve generation, precise line extraction, a data point sorter, a statistics calculator and 3d slice animation.
TECPLOT VERSION 8 In early December Amtec Engineering released version 8.0 of Tecplot, their excellent data visualization package available for a wide variety of computer platforms. With version 8.0 Educational prices have been reduced significantly - for Windows Tecplot is now only $1199*and for a single UNIX workstation it is $2300*. However the prices for non commercial licences of Tecplot have increased. Facilities new to Tecplot at version 8 include:
- Multiple constraints for value-blanking. For example, you could blank all cells where x > 125 and < 1.23.
- Precise blanking for 2D. Instead of blanking entire cells, leaving an uneven cutoff line, Tecplot trims cells for a smooth boundary.
- Frames can be linked by several attributes, so that changes to one frame are also made to linked frames. Linked attributes are contour levels, frame size and position, X and Y axis ranges for XY and 2D plots, and 3D plot axis ranges.
- Optional auto-redraw.
- Updated File I/O screens for MS-Windows versions.
- Added capability to slice 3D surface zones.
- Layouts can be saved with the data packaged with it, so that a separate datafile is not necessary. A preview image can also be included.
- Tecplot can open or save files using standard FTP and HTTP URL protocol.
- Additional output file formats (BMP, PNG, and AVI).
- Frames can be turned on/off for printing.
- Improved Addon Developer's Kit.
- New manuals.
Since our last newsletter Amtec have also released a 2D Mesh Generator add-on for Tecplot. This optional extra is $1700* ($850* academic) for Windows Tecplot - ask about other versions.
Demo versions of Tecplot, the CFD Analyzer Add-on, and the Mesh Generator Add-on can be downloaded from the Amtec web site www.amtec.com. We can supply a temporary password which will unlock the demo so that the full capabilities of Tecplot can be used with your own data.

FTN95 NEWS
Salford's premier fortran compiler, FTN95, is now at version 2.04. Any FTN95 owner not already on maintenance can update to the current version plus obtain a full year of maintenance for $400 plus GST. Renewal of annual maintenance is $300*.

LAHEY NEWS
IMSL for LF95 Express for LINUX is now available - the price is the same as for IMSL for Lahey Windows compilers - $513* (academic $428*).
LF95 version 6 - the estimated (NOT confirmed) date for the next release of LF95 is late July 2000. There are no details of what new facilities will be incorporated into version 6.

VISUAL FORTRAN NEWS
Digital Visual Fortran [DVF] has now been renamed Compaq Visual Fortran [CVF]. In the process the version number has increased from 6.0 to 6.1. CVF is essentially the same as DVF except for a change of name, inclusion of the CXML (Compaq Extended Math Library - formerly the Digital Extended Math Library), some improvements in speed of execution of compiled programs, greater compatibility with Microsoft PowerStation 4, elimination of some bugs, greater access to the Windows API, and inclusion of various utility routines such as serial I/O. The intermediate files produced by 6.1 are fully compatible with 6.0. DVF version 6 owners can update to CVF version 6.1 by means of a download available free of charge from http://www.compaq.com/fortran.
CMXL is the major feature new to CVF. It consists of nearly 1500 mathematical routines including Basic Linear Algebra (BLAS), signal processing, sparse linear systems, LAPACK, eigen problem solvers, and various utility operations such as sorting, vector mathematics, and random number generation.
The 'Compaq Visual Fortran Newsletter' is available to all registered CVF and DVF users. The current issue may be found at www.digital.com/fortran/dvf/QRRNW. Back issues are at www.digital.com/fortran/dvf/newsletter.html.
Articles in the April 2000 issue included:
- VERSION 6.1A This update to Compaq Visual Fortran 6.1 may be downloaded from the Visual Fortran web site. Amongst other small fixes it includes the "Print Colorized Fortran" menu option in Developer Studio.
- The use of Console Windows to display large amounts of text from a Fortran program (QuickWin windows can do this but it requires a great deal of memory and the windows scroll slowly). - An improved FORPRINT program for sending Fortran output to a printer. It now works with Windows 95.
- How to avoid the problem of the linker trying to include more than one type of C/C++ library in mixed Fortran and C programs. The problem can also occur when using DLLs.
- A technique to generate XY plots using the Array Visualizer. The method is somewhat limited and awkward. Compaq hope to provide for direct XY plotting capability for Array Visualizer in a future release of Visual Fortran.
- A discussion on the correct use of .EQV and .NEQV. The author feels that many Fortran pro-grammers use these incorrectly. Porting problems can arise when .EQ is used when .EQV is really what is required.
Articles in the October 1999 issue included:
- New features in Version 6.1.
- Additions to dialog procedures.
- User callable traceback.
- Visual Analyser tips - data animation, use with mixed languages, palette editor, and Data View improvements.
- An outline of some important areas which remain unspecified in the Fortran standard and how these can lead to porting problems. One interesting example is operands of a logical operator can be evaluated in any order. For logical expressions, Fortran does not have strict left-to-right ordering nor does it have short-circuit evaluation.
- An overview of the Compaq Extended Math Library (CMXL).

LF95 EXPRESS - an effective low cost code checker
Most programmers will normally use just one compiler for all their development work and to ensure their code is sound as possible will rewrite it until that compiler gives no warning messages. One simple and highly effective method minimizing errors in a program is to subsequently compile it with a second complier and again rewriting until there are no warning messages flagged by either compiler. For those who do not develop with LF95 the LF95 Express compiler is an excellent choice for such a check compiler. It has excellent diagnostics and is quite inexpensive ($425).

SCIPLOT VERSION 6
Sciplot ($400; $325 for LF95 Express), a very easy to use CALCOMP-like graphics library for Fortran and C programmers, is now available for Windows. Windows graphics cards and printers are supported in full 256 colour modes. The mouse is supported. Sciplot can generate seven file types - BMP, EPS, HPGL/2, PCX, PDF, PS, and WPG. Routines new to version 6 include suspension of execution for a fixed period, generation of Printer Job Control language statements in graphics files, generation of Windows's waveform sounds, generation of parallel, serial, and network i/o for devices, reading and writing text strings to/from the client graphics windows, retrieval of the client window resolution, and the drawing of figures in device coordinates. The Sciplot documentation includes many graphics example programs. Supported Fortran compilers include Absoft ProFortran 6.2, Compaq Visual Fortran 6.1, Lahey LF90 4.5, Lahey LF95 5.5, and Microsoft Powerstation 4.0. Supported C/C++ compilers are Absoft Pro 1.1, Borland 5.4, Microsoft Visual 6.0, Symantic 6.1, and Watcom 11. Upgrades from any Sciplot Fortran library are $150.

Winteracter 2.20
In late November Interactive Software Services released version 2.2 of Winteracter, their excellent graphics and Windows user interface library for Fortran compilers running under 32 bit Windows operating systems. Improvements in version 2.2 include:
- a new set of manuals
- 24 bit colour support both screen display and in graphics files
- Graduated colour polygon fills
- Screen line width control
- PCX files of any colour depth can now be viewed
- .wmf files can be written to the clipboard
- Control over the number of decimal places in Presentation Graphics scale values
- Marker frequency control on line plots
- HelpEd - allows creation and editing of Windows help files
- RTF (Rich Text Format) support in the text file editor/browser routine
- Print option in editor/browser
- Put/get memory bitmaps to/from dialog fields
- Grid cell/column/row colour control
- Dialog controls can be hidden/revealed at run-time
Winteracter is updated twice a year - in late May and late November. Those who wish to auto-matically receive the updates should consider purchase of annual maintenance. Winteracter version 2.2 owners may obtain maintenance for $420* (academic $325*) - plus GST. This is a significant saving over purchasing individual upgrades as they occur. For those who would like to upgrade to version 2.2 the prices are $310* ($245* academic) from version 2.1, $445* ($345*) from version 2.0, and $580* ($445*) from version 1.x.
Interactive Software Services actively solicits input from users on what features they would like to have in new releases. You can email them (support@issltd.demon.co.uk) or fill in the form on their web site ( http//www.demon.co.uk/issltd/).

INTERACTER 4.30
In late October Interactive Software Services released version 4.3 of INTERACTER, their excellent graphics and Windows user interface library for Fortran compilers running under a wide range of UNIX and PC operating systems. Upgrades to version 4.3 for 32 bit PC Fortran compilers are $445* from version 4.x; $580* from version 3.x; and $660* from earlier versions. New features in v4.30 are listed below. Mostly these are graphics enhancements, shared with Winteracter 2.10/2.20 :
- 24-bit colour support. i.e. 16 million simultaneous colours in Window GDI, Xlib, PostScript, CGM, HP-GL/2, BMP & PCX output
- Graduated colour fills
- Various bitmap handling improvements:
- Save/load 256-colour BMP/PCX files under X Windows
- Save/load BMP files under DOS
- Load PCX files of any colour depth under Windows
- 24-bit BMP/PCX support in raster image file driver
- Save 24-bit PCX files on 16/24/32-bit Windows displays
- Save 8/24-bit BMP/PCX files from raw data
- Screen line thickness control (DOS, Windows GDI and Xlib)
- Screen dump under Windows now operates via Print Manager
- Windows metafile (WMF) output can be sent to the clipboard
- Zoom option when importing CGM, HP-GL, HP-GL/2 & PIC files. - Various contour plotting enhancements:
- Faster 3D surface plots and 2D fill-based contour plots
- Data limits on 2D line-based contour plots eliminated under F90 compilers
- Transparent tiles option on 3D surface plots
- Scale point text labelling available on 3D surface plots
- Grid line direction definable (X-only or Y-only)
- Graphoria emulation extended
- Up to 128 simultaneous colours on 256 colour Windows and X-Windows displays
- A set of debugging routines have been added
- The Winteracter generic installer and the associated install script editor (SETUP & SetupEd) have been added to the Windows version of INTERACTER
- Four more mouse cursors under DOS, Windows & Xlib

f90SQL - FORTRAN MEETS DATABASES
f90SQL by Canaima Software (http://www.canaimasoft.com) is a database connectivity library for Fortran. Until the advent of f90SQL the only way to access data from Fortran was to export it from the database into an ascii file and have the Fortran program read in the ascii file. If the Fortran program processed the data in some manner then the adjusted data had to be written to an ascii file which in turn had to be imported into the data base. With f90SQL Fortran programs can read or write directly to data files which have been generated by applications which have an ODBC (Microsoft Windows Open Database Connectivity) interface. Batch queries, transactions etc. can all be carried out seamlessly at run time from a Fortran program. Examples of applications which use ODBC include Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Access, FoxPro, Paradox, Oracle, Ingress, Informix, Microsoft SQL-server, and Sybase. The same routines are used to access the databases from any vendor. You do need the ODBC driver for the proprietary format in which the data is stored. This is normally provided as part of the database application. f90SQL is available for LF90, LF95, Compaq Visual Fortran, Absoft Pro Fortran and Salford FTN95. The price of $340* includes a comprehensive online manual with a tutorial and numerous examples. An optional printed manual, ($125*) is more than 1000 pages. It provides additional information on ODBC and f90SQL. One year of free updates and six months of email support are included with f90SQL.