Basic Fortran is a widely used programming language. The spelling of this word is [ˈbeɪsɪk ˈfɔːtræn] according to the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The first syllable "ba" is pronounced as /beɪ/, two sounds combined /b/ and /eɪ/. Second syllable "sic" is pronounced as /sɪk/, consisting of a single sound /s/ and /ɪk/. Finally, the last syllable "Fortran" is pronounced as /ˈfɔːtræn/, composed of three sounds /f/, /ɔː/, and /træn/. Knowing the phonetic transcription of Basic Fortran helps in clear and accurate pronunciation.
Basic Fortran is a high-level programming language that was developed in the 1950s and is widely used for scientific and engineering computations. The term "Basic Fortran" specifically refers to the earliest versions of the Fortran programming language, which are collectively known as Fortran I, Fortran II, and Fortran III.
Basic Fortran is characterized by its simplicity and ease of use, making it accessible to both beginners and experienced programmers. It has a concise syntax and provides a wide range of built-in functions and operators for performing various mathematical and computational tasks.
One key feature of Basic Fortran is its ability to perform complex numeric calculations efficiently. It supports a wide range of mathematical operations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and exponentiation. Additionally, it provides built-in functions for trigonometry, logarithms, exponential functions, and other common mathematical operations.
Basic Fortran also includes control structures, such as conditional statements (if-then-else) and looping constructs (do, while, and goto statements), that allow programmers to control the flow of execution within a program. These control structures enable branching and looping, enabling more complex algorithms to be implemented.
Furthermore, Basic Fortran provides facilities for input and output operations, allowing programs to read data from external sources (such as files or user input) and write results to output devices (such as the console or printers).
Overall, Basic Fortran is a foundational programming language that laid the groundwork for subsequent versions of Fortran and has been instrumental in scientific and engineering calculations for decades.
The word "Fortran" is an acronym for "Formula Translation". It was created by IBM in the 1950s for scientific and engineering calculations. The name reflects the language's purpose of translating mathematical formulas into code that computers can understand.
The term "Basic Fortran" refers to the basic version of the Fortran programming language. "Basic" in this context does not stand for "Basic programming language", but rather "basic level" or "fundamental version" of Fortran. It signifies that Basic Fortran is a simplified and stripped-down variant of the original Fortran language, with limited features and capabilities.