Visual Studio .NET and Fortran timeframe update?

[gunn]

Hello,
I'm looking for the latest information on a timeframe when we'll be able to use Visual Studio .NET and a Visual Fortran product together...like we do currently with VS6 and VF6 ?

I have read an article during my search stating to move to Intel Fortran...but when I visit that site, they only have integration currently for VS6 also.

The problem we are running in to is that you can no longer purchase Visual C++ v6 so we're being forced to buy new users .NET. But then that presents problems with compiling our Fortran code. Its not a good solution to use both apps independantly...

Any new timeframes on when a Fortran product will integrate with VS.NET? I don't even care the brand, really.

[Steven_L_Intel1]

Intel will release a Fortran later this year which integrates into VS.NET. The integration is not quite as clean or complete as CVF is, but it's a lot better than what Intel Fortran has for VS6 today. The "Visual Fortran" release for VS.NET is planned for the second half of 2003.

I will warn you now, though - Microsoft has eliminated the concept of a mixed-language project in VS.NET. So what you have to do is have your C bits in a C project, the Fortran bits in a Fortran project (one of them being a static library), and then build the "solution" which builds both projects. It's nowhere near as nice and easy as it is with VC6 and CVF and/or Intel Fortran.

Steve

[Peter_Priestley]

For new users, buy the equivalent level of VS.NET licence to be a good citizen, but install from the VS6 cds until such time as you can move everyone to VS.NET.

(N.B. If Microsoft read this, I am not doing it and I did not suggest it.)

Or, buy your key users MSDN professional subscription (with which they get clear licences and cds for VS6 and VS.NET), shuffle their existing VS6 licence to the new users.

[durisinm]

Steve,

I understand the part about two projects instead of one, but not the part about the static library. Can you give a simple example?

I'm glad that Microsoft is trying to make things easy for us.

Mike

[Steven_L_Intel1]

Let's say in CVF you have a mixed-language application with a Fortran main program and some C++ routines you call. In CVF, you'd create a Fortran Console Application project, add the Fortran and C++ sources to it, and build.

In VS.NET, the way you have to do it is as follows:

1. Create a Fortran Console Application project with just the Fortran code.
2. In the same "solution" (V6 "workspace"), create a separate C++ Static Library project (the way you do this is select Win32 Application, and then under the project options, select static library - always making it easier, Microsoft is!) Put your C++ code here.
3. Make the C++ project a dependency of the Fortran project.

Now, theoretically, this is all you should have to do. But it is likely that when the next Intel Fortran ships, you'll have to manually add the path to the C++ .LIB to the Fortran project's Linker properties so that it gets linked in. Eventually, simply making the C++ project a dependent will cause that to happen automatically. (I'll note that adding the .LIB as a source file may not work at release time either.)

Steve

[Intel_C_Intel]

Thanks for the info Steve. Can you elaborate on the 2 versions of Fortran you mention, specifically what is the earliest date we can expect a version that will create .NET objects?

Thanks,
Brad

[Steven_L_Intel1]

By "create .NET objects" do you mean create managed code (MSIL) objects? We have no plans to do that, though we're not ruling it out for the future. What we will offer is native compilation, creating either DLLs or COM servers (both of which you can do in CVF today), that can be used from .NET applications.

The Intel Fortran release later this year will be a native code compiler sharing the VS.NET development environment, but it will lack a number of features CVF has today. We're planning a second-half 2003 release for "Intel Visual Fortran", the combined technology product.

Steve

[ddlittle]

Steve,

I'm not at all surprised that MS has eliminated the multi-language builds, but I'm curious what we will have to do to import our existing .DSPs? Some of our projects have pre- and post-build steps, several have assembly language modules, and all have both C++ and FORTRAN. Our projects also have between 25 and 200 source files and associated headers. All of our projects are either native code or COM, none are .NET, and none are planned to be.

At the last PDC, MS was bragging about the ability to incorporate many languages into the environment, but nobody thought to ask how good that was going to be...

Thanks!

David Little
COADE, Inc.
Houston, TX

[Steven_L_Intel1]

Regarding importing DSPs - the current state of affairs (in the latest Intel Fortran beta) is that this doesn't work for Fortran projects. That may change over time. The issue seems to be (if I recall properly) that MS has not given us the information and interfaces we need to be able to do this. Perhaps things will change before the 2003 release.

Yes, the MS view is that each language (and each vendor's implementation of that language) is a world unto itself inside the IDE.

Steve

[bradlepc]

Steve,

This seems like a serious step back for VS. Any idea what's behind it or when this might be remedied? Are there any Microsoft resources that you can cite? I'd like to discuss this further with our local Microsoft sales people.

Pete

[sumitm]

I have a question. Our company intends to test market a new software by Jan 1st,2003 and management wants to control distribution and use via web enabling and web hosting rather than give potential customers the exe files. We tried some of it already by coverting some of the code to Java. However, a lot remains to be converted over.
One thought was to changeover to VB.net altogether since they provide a way to refer the exe file to a webform (I am talking like a layman here). However, Steve, your comment that the newer upcoming Intel Fortran integrates into VS.net made me wonder if that is a better path for me. My code has no mixed language calling ( I mean I do not have a C Compiler). Mostly Quickwin with some calls to Windows API's like opening files and saving files. Then there is a graphics library I built using SETWINDOWCONFIG, SETVIEWPORT, SET LINESTYLE, RGB and many other graphics functions defined in CVF. And there is use of ArrayVisualizer as Active X controls and OPENGL renderings (using glut32.lib etc). Can you kindly advice, if these would work in the new .net release of Intel Fortran set for the last quarter of this year.
Thanks in advance for your advice.

[tedwu]

I am a new user (switching from UNIX) and confused about creating a mixed-language application using CVF6.6 and VS.net. In VS.net, how to connect CVF6.6 and create a Fortran Console App project and compile the .f source files?

[Steven_L_Intel1]

You have to do this in the two separate environments.

In CVF, create a Static Library project with your Fortran sources. In VS.NET, create a C Win32 Console application with your C sources. Add to the list of library directories the CVF ..DF98LIB folder. Build the Fortran library in CVF. Add the .lib to your C project and build that.

Steve