Difference between Intel Visual fortran Compiler and Intel Visual fortran composer

[Senthil_m_]

 What is the basic difference between  Intel Visual fortran Compiler and Intel Visual fortran composer ?

 Whether intel visual fortran COMPILER  alone sufficient for writing fortran programmes ? . WHAT IS the latest intel visual fortran compiler avialble for purchase?

[TimP]

"composer," in my limited understanding, is the marketing terminology of the last 2 years for the entire package needed to run the corresponding Intel compiler (although in the case of C++ Visual Studio also is required).  I never heard an explanation of the terminology change.

When you purchase a license, if you get physical media you still need to download the current version, and you have access to all past and future versions issued within a year of when you register your license.  You're not buying a license to a specific version.

Your choices are whether to buy a more comprehensive package including more Intel software tools than just the Fortran:

http://software.intel.com/en-us/intel-sdp-products

Current version:

Intel(R) Visual Fortran Intel(R) 64 Compiler XE for applications running on Intel(R) 64, Version 14.0.1.139 Build 20131008

An update is due within a week.

[Steven_L_Intel1]

As Tim says, "Composer" is a marketing term for the product that contains the Visual Fortran compiler, its run-time libraries, Intel Math Kernel Library, Integrations into Visual Studio and Visual Studio 2010 Shell. We don't sell the compiler just by itself. If you buy Intel Visual Fortran Composer XE (2013 SP1 is the current version), you get everything you need to create, build, debug and run Fortran applications on Windows - you don't need to buy anything else.

Tim also alluded to our C++ product, Intel C++ Composer XE. This is similar to Visual Fortran Composer XE except that it has the C++ compiler instead of Fortran and requires a separate purchase of MS Visual Studio.