Comparison of the functional power of APL2 and FORTRAN 90

Abstract

APL and Fortran, although very different, share the challenge of remaining "competitive" in the light of an onslaught of "modern" computer languages. To meet this challenge, both have attempted to enhance their position by adding significant new features to their language. For example, APL2 is an extension of APL.Fortran has also attempted to meet the challenges of modern programming by developing a new Fortran standard called Fortran 90. This standard revises many areas of Fortran, but this paper will only concentrate on those that affect the computational power of Fortran. Many of the changes were motivated by the increased use of vector and array "supercomputers." Therefore, array features, the ability to act on entire arrays instead of individual elements, are an important part of this new standard. In doing this work, the Fortran community looked to APL as an example of a powerful array language.This paper will answer several questions regarding this new standard. First, from a computational or functional point of view, what are the major features of Fortran 90? Next, how do these features compare with APL2? And finally, what can APL2 learn from the Fortran 90 work?