program hello
print *, 'Hello, world!'
end program hello.webp){kind=logo}
Ask the right questions to secure the right Fortran talent among an increasingly shrinking pool of talent.
Fortran, an acronym for "Formula Translation," is a high-level programming language developed by IBM in the 1950s, making it one of the oldest computer languages still in use today. It was designed for scientific and engineering computations due to its ability to handle complex numerical calculations. The language revolutionized software development and set a precedent for future programming languages like ALGOL and COBOL. Fortran's enduring relevance can be attributed to its continuous evolution, with the most recent version, Fortran 2018, released by ISO/IEC. Its historical significance and ongoing utility make it a cornerstone in the field of computer programming.
The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.
In 'pass by value', a copy of the variable is passed into the subroutine or function, whereas in 'pass by reference', the actual variable itself is passed in. Changes to a 'pass by value' variable do not affect the original variable, while changes to a 'pass by reference' variable do.
The 'implicit none' statement is used to force the programmer to explicitly declare all variables, helping to prevent errors due to misspelled variable names or incorrect assumptions about variable types.
A 'do' loop in Fortran is written as 'do i = 1, 10' followed by the code block and ended with 'end do'.
Fortran supports several data types including integer, real, complex, logical, and character.
You declare a variable in Fortran using the type keyword followed by the variable name. For example, 'integer :: var' declares an integer variable named var.
The tech field is ever-evolving, it's important for a developer to stay updated with the latest developments to create efficient and modern solutions.
Experience with testing and debugging is important for maintaining code quality and reducing errors in production.
Strong communication skills are necessary for collaboration and to explain complex technical ideas to non-technical stakeholders.
A good Fortran developer should be familiar with numerical and computational algorithms as Fortran is commonly used in scientific computing.
Effective problem-solving skills are crucial to debugging and improving code quality.
The candidate should have a strong understanding of Fortran and its various versions to effectively develop and maintain applications.
The next 20 minutes of the interview should attempt to focus more specifically on the development questions used, and the level of depth and skill the engineer possesses.
File input/output in Fortran is handled using the 'open', 'read', 'write', and 'close' statements. The 'open' statement is used to open a file, 'read' and 'write' are used to read from and write to the file, and 'close' is used to close the file.
A function in Fortran returns a value and can be used in an expression, while a subroutine does not return a value and is used for its side effects.
A function in Fortran is written using the 'function' keyword, followed by the function name, arguments, and return type. The function body contains the code to be executed, and the function ends with 'end function'.
Fortran supports several types of loops including 'do', 'do while', and 'do concurrent'.
Arrays in Fortran are declared similarly to variables, but with dimensions specified. For example, 'integer, dimension(10) :: array' declares an integer array with 10 elements. Arrays can be manipulated as a whole or by individual elements.
At this point, a skilled Fortran engineer should demonstrate deep understanding of the language, including its advanced features and debugging techniques. They should also show proficiency in numerical computation methods and handling large data sets. Red flags include lack of problem-solving skills, inability to explain complex concepts clearly, and unfamiliarity with modern Fortran standards.
program hello
print *, 'Hello, world!'
end program helloprogram calc
integer :: x = 5, y = 10
print *, x + y
end program calcprogram array
integer, dimension(5) :: arr = (/1, 2, 3, 4, 5/)
print *, arr
end program arrayprogram threads
!$omp parallel do
integer :: i
integer, dimension(10) :: a = (/1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10/)
do i = 1, 10
a(i) = a(i) * 2
end do
!$omp end parallel do
print *, a
end program threadsmodule myModule
type :: myType
integer :: x
end type myType
end module myModuleprogram advanced
integer, dimension(10) :: a = (/1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10/)
integer :: i, sum = 0
!$omp parallel do reduction(+:sum)
do i = 1, 10
sum = sum + a(i)
end do
print *, sum
end program advancedThe final few interview questions for a Fortran candidate should typically focus on a combination of technical skills, personal goals, growth potential, team dynamics, and company culture.
Fortran 90/95 introduced several new features including free-form source code, dynamic memory allocation, array operations, user-defined types, and modules for encapsulating code and data.
Parallel processing in Fortran can be implemented using the OpenMP or MPI libraries, which provide directives and functions for creating and managing parallel processes.
Static memory allocation is done at compile time and the memory size does not change during program execution, while dynamic memory allocation is done at runtime and the memory size can change as needed.
Error handling in Fortran is typically done using the 'error stop' statement, which stops the program and prints an error message.
Fortran supports several types of conditional statements including 'if', 'if else', 'else if', and 'select case'.
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