Starting with Plato

I am just starting to use Plato and am stuck at the start.

Plato opens OK but the buttons that show do not correspond to those in the guide. Further, the options menu is very different from what is shown in the guide and there is no 'show products', for example.

I can compile and run a file but errors do not result in any dialogue that I can find (there is no 'show error window' button on the toolbar). I also tried to start a new project but the only options under 'Project' were 'add references' and 'enable dependency checking'.

I am using software that I set up in 2013 so I do expect that there have been updates/changes since then but both Plato and FTN95 were set up together and have not been updated separately so I am thinking that all should operate OK as a package.

Clearly I am way off somewhere and I would appreciate advice on how to get started.

Thanks

Please state the versions of Plato, FTN95 and Windows that you use. Please give a complete reference for what you call 'the guide'.

Thank you for your quick response,

Plato is ver. 4.6.3.0 dated 24/01/2019

FTN95 is ver 7.00.0 dated 24/01/2019

Windows is W10Pro OS build 1043:1645

The Guide is the Salford software FTN95 User's Guide dated May 2000 downloaded from the Silverfrost site.

I have also dipped into the ftn95.chm software that helps a little but does not clear up the main problems.

Is there more recent documentation, I wonder.

Oops, I did not give you all the information available, sorry.

FTN95 details V7.00.0 dated 24/01/2019 although the date stamp on the file is 07/09 2013.

Plato is the same: v4.6.3.0 dated 24/01/2019 although the time stamp on the file is 14/08/2013.

I have not been aware of any updates but clearly both have been updated at some point without amending the time stamp.

Are there reasons not to update the compiler, linker, Plato, etc., to the current/latest releases? It is going to be nearly impossible for others to match the same (mismatched) versions of the tools, and it would help me to understand what you did if you were to use the current tools and provide a link (the URL) for whichever user guide you are following when attempting to build and run a program.

After compiling, error reports will automatically appear in the 'Output Results' window.

If this window is not visible then use the main 'View menu' and ensure that a check mark appears next to the 'Output Results' item. If not then click on this item and the window should become visible.

If the 'Output Results' window is still not visible then you will need to reset its position by editing your Plato.ini file (this might sometime happen when changing the screen resolution or when changing from dual monitors back to a single monitor).

Plato.ini is typically found in the folder C:\Users\xxxx\AppData\Roaming\SilverFrost\FTN95 where xxxx is your user name.

Edit this file using Notepad (say), find the section headed '[Output]' and delete the whole section.

Thank you both for your help. The information on accessing files I will note for reference until I can sort out the main issues.

The only possible reason not to consider updating to current versions is cost. I was aware that I was still working with the original versions I purchased but assumed that they would be compatible, even if somewhat out of date. However it seems that I am wrong about this.

As I would like to move forward using Plato/FTN95, please can you point me to the appropriate update path to allow me to get a suite of software that is compatible.

The guide that I mentioned was downloaded from the site

https://www.silverfrost.com/23/ftn95/support/documentation.aspx

and then going to the link ''Here is' to download the PDF version of the User's guide.

Thanks again for your help.

Alan

If the initial problem is that you can't see the error reports then it I rceommend that you address that issue.

Click on the Main menu item labelled 'View' and look for 'Output Results'. Does your Plato show that item and is it checked?

Can you now see the 'Output' window?

Paul

I have manged to open an output window and running a simple program gets the output to that window OK.

But when I call a s/r that does not exist, execution stops but no errors are reported in the output window - or anywhere else that I can see. The view menu now shows 'output results' ticked.

But the project window is as before and does not allow a new project to be started.

Given the different versions of software that I have, should I not be moving to get software into a coherent suite?

Thanks for your help

Alan

If you call a subroutine that does not exist then an exception will be raised and you should see a runtime dialog and this is external and not related to Plato.

You will get the same dialog if you run your executabe from a command line or from File Explorer.

If you can't see the error dialog then press Alt+Tab to scan through all open apps.

Alan,

Sometimes the problem is missing something you don't know you missed, and can't describe the problem because you don't really know what it is (no disparagement intended, it happens to everyone).

If you would like a Zoom call with a long-time user (myself) then by all means send me your e mail via a private message and I'll see if I can help. I can't make Monday, but Tuesday would work. I'd issue the Zoom (or Teams, if you prefer) invitation. You would have to tell me a suitable time.

Best regards

Eddie

Paul

I can see the exception that arises when I call a missing subroutine although I was expecting a recognisable response from SBDG as under ‘tools/options’ the setting ‘integrate with SDBG’ is checked. Individual routine compilations that contain errors are reported OK but there is only a line number for reference which could get messy to troubleshoot with files of any size.

I have not found how to include subroutines except by putting them after the main file. Is there no ‘slink’ equivalent?

From what (little) I have seen I would expect that working with a ‘project’ would be cleaner way of working but I cannot find any way to open a new project.

I am also writing to Silverfrost about updating which may help this issue.

Eddie

I am very much with your sentiment but guess that I must get an updated version of Plato before I try to go further. Unfortunately I am very deaf so Zoom is not possible. I do thank you for your offer, though.

Thanks both

Alan

For 32 bit compilations the integrated SDBG in Plato is rather slow and should be avoided.

Upgrading to the latest full releases is recommended. After that you could try using 64 bit compilations with or without integrated SDBG64 in Plato.

After upgrading you can get the latest interim updates via the following link on this forum...

https://forums.silverfrost.com/Forum/Topic/3780

At further update for Plato will be available soon.

Paul

Many thanks for your help. I will await details on how to update.

Regards

Alan,

The offer of help is unconditional. I was sorry to hear of your deafness. Once you have your updated software, it may be that a short meeting at somewhere convenient might be helpful. Let me know.

Eddie

Paul

Further to my queries earlier, I now have updated ftn95 to the current version and am using it without issue. I have also therefore an updated version of Plato which I am now using and have a query.

My project has files (routines) that require an ‘include’ file. I did not copy this file to the list of project files (all were .for files) but the compiled/linked program still ran as expected. I have not managed to find and gain access to the ‘include’ file from within the project in order to edit it – nor does it appear under the \project\source files\include files in the Plato window. How is such access managed to allow editing?

Thaks

Alan

The environment variable F95INCLUDE, if it exists set to a valid path, is searched along with any arguments specified to the compiler with the /INCLUDE option, for include files.

You may be content that the compiler is finding an include file that you do not quite know the location of, but beware that if you have two versions of the include file in different places, the one that the compiler reads may not be the one that you just recently edited!

alangr

Plato automatically lists 'include' files in the Explorer window but these are files that have the extension .inc or .ins depending on whether you are using fixed or free format Fortran.

These and other included files can be viewed by right clicking on the file name in an INCLUDE statement in the main source file and selecting Open from the popup menu.

File dependency checking for a project 'build' operation may only work for .ins and .inc files. I would have to check this.

Thank you both for your comments.

At present my include files have the .CB extension and it would seem sensible to amend these to .ins at some point. But for the moment at least I know how to access the include files and then “rebuild” after editing to be sure all is well.

You have to state the full name of an include file in an INCLUDE directive in your Fortran source code, whether such an included file has no extension, '.inc', '.ins' or other extensions such as your '.CB'.

Therefore, from the point of view of the compiler, which extension you use is of little consequence.

However, an IDE such as Plato or Visual Studio may follow different conventions regarding file extensions that signify that the contents of such a file are meant to be merged into another file rather than being used separately.