Installation notes

Got problem with my Windows OS and was forced to reinstall everything including FTN95. I am installing ftn77/90/95 compilers probably 100th time in 20 years and always experienced some kind of unpleasant rough edges during the installation... Tried to look at this with the eyes of first time user who makes his first clicks.

1. 'Select the program features you want installed' seems do not work, at least you can spend a lot of time configuring all installation options but there is no visible changes happening

2. Already mentioned earlier turn-off: there is no indication where Demo dir is, no straight link on examples (hopefully in next release?). Youtube-like 'ready to eat' examples will be great too.

3. When make command 'ftn95 /?' at Command Prompt you can get colored help. The description is missing why something is in blue

4. OpenGL, which is #1 eye candy 'turn on' of FTN95, does not work out of the box. Build.bat by some reason needs editing

5. Here probably my own code problem. The FTN95 at compilation gives such kind of diagnostics (I use opengl.ins):

1/2447) STDCALL WGLUSEFONTOUTLINES 'wglUseFontOutlinesA' (VAL,VAL,VAL,VAL & 1/2448) &,VAL,VAL,VAL,REF):LOGICAL4 *** Return type is expected. Found (VAL,VAL,VAL,VAL,VAL,VAL,VAL,REF):LOGICAL4 (In include file E:\Program Files\Silverfrost\FTN95\include\OPENGL.INS) 1/2449) STDCALL SWAPBUFFERS 'SwapBuffers' (VAL):LOGICAL4 *** Return type is expected. Found (VAL):LOGICAL4 (In include file E:\Program Files\Silverfrost\FTN95\include\OPENGL.INS)

To correct them I comment whole entire last chapter of opengl.ins called.

'! Win32 API functions converted from wingdi.h'

but may be I'm doing something wrong with it...OpenGL then compiles OK

[color=olive:9329180675]Anyone who simply installs anything for their first time obviously has many questions about every small detail. If the users encounter any problems they will be immediately have a bad impression which is difficult to subside. They will also be inclined to stop the installation and try to use something else.

We, users, also benefit from larger users base because the compiler will be continuing developing, there will be less bugs and more of great examples and prototypes of its use. Just wrote small review on C-Net giving FTN95 compiler 5-stars. Folks, be active too [/color:9329180675]

Have you a small example you can post to demonstrate the compilation problems with opengl.ins , as I have no problems with it and do not alter it (unlike windf95.ins !) ?

Will try, but all OpenGL texts are so damn large...

Can I just get some clarification on some of your points? What version of FTN95 are you using as I cannot reproduce most of what you say.

1. Changing options in the install changes what gets installed. For example, if I deselect .NET items, it doesn't get installed. If I deselect Plato, it doesnt get installed, if I deselect 'Modify Environment Variables', they don't get modified. Etc.

2. If you select the Demo Code node in the installer when presented with the list of things that are to be installed, the location it will be installed to is displayed, thats the 'standard' way of doing things. The examples are installed to 'My Documents' as it needs to be that way for Vista (which like it or not is here to stay).

3. When you type FTN95 /?, just below the output about your system, there is a line that reads: 'Valid (default) compiler options are'. The word default is highlighted in blue - to indicate the default options, which are also highlighted in blue.

4. There does appear to be a problem with opengl.ins. I have noted this recently, but thanks for pointing it out.

Quoted from Andrew Can I just get some clarification on some of your points? What version of FTN95 are you using as I cannot reproduce most of what you say.

1. Changing options in the install changes what gets installed. For example, if I deselect .NET items, it doesn't get installed. If I deselect Plato, it doesnt get installed, if I deselect 'Modify Environment Variables', they don't get modified. Etc.

It is latest release. Yes, it works like you are saying, but the small problem is that when you select them you do not see that this option is selected as you want to or not. For example if you select 'This feature and all subfeatures will be installed' the the appropriate small selection icon for that is not changed from original

2. If you select the Demo Code node in the installer when presented with the list of things that are to be installed, the location it will be installed to is displayed, thats the 'standard' way of doing things. The examples are installed to 'My Documents' as it needs to be that way for Vista (which like it or not is here to stay).

Again, If you select you do not see if it is selected, icon does not change. And I did that but I do not see in Start/All Program/Silverfrost the tab 'Demo' though directory with examples is created in mentioned folder (which is impossible to find without asking this newsgroup or RTFM 😃

3. When you type FTN95 /?, just below the output about your system, there is a line that reads: 'Valid (default) compiler options are'. The word default is highlighted in blue - to indicate the default options, which are also highlighted in blue.

I thought I am not a daltonic... 😄 But anyway the suggestion is to add 'Default settings are marked in blue', it would help (I was surprised about these default features in blue. Never used or changed them before)

4. There does appear to be a problem with opengl.ins. I have noted this recently, but thanks for pointing it out.

and would be great to add more OPENGL examples, by asking such a pro like http://www.quickie3d.com/ who uses FTN95 to write several small flashy snippets

As to paragraph 5 I think I found the problem. It appear when I mix 'use mswin' and 'use clrwin' with 'include <opengl.ins>' and 'include <clearwin.ins>. Dunno what is going on in those cases, but it is probably my fault

Quoted from DanRRight

It is latest release. Yes, it works like you are saying, but the small problem is that when you select them you do not see that this option is selected as you want to or not. For example if you select 'This feature and all subfeatures will be installed' the the appropriate small selection icon for that is not changed from original

When that dialog in the installer appears the icons default state is that it will be installed. If you change it to not be installed, a red cross appears. The one exception to this is if you select 'This feature and all subfeatures will be installed' - there are no sub-features to any of the nodes, so the icon does not change.

My point regarding the location of the Example files is that the path is shown when you click the 'Example/Demo Files' feature in the installer.

I think the suggestion to add a shortcut to the folder in the start menu is a good idea.

The one exception to this is if you select 'This feature and all subfeatures will be installed' - there are no sub-features to any of the nodes, so the icon does not change.

I suppose it has to be added, or changed, because I suppose everyone wants to get everything possible from installed software. At least this was my big stopping point so I reinstalled compiler several times. And psychologically, if nothing is in subfeatures it does not look good 😃

Now initial compiling is successful. I can see the *.obj file has been created. Could anyone tell me the necessary syntax to link this *.obj file and run the *.exe file??

Its wrong thread, but I remember how difficult to start things for first time, every small detail stops you...Three - four small unclear things - and you start to think to de-install it. Anyway... If this is one fortran file and hence one obj file after compilation, just type in command prompt (this will produce you exe)

slink filename.obj

But in this case obj file is even not needed, so from the beginning just type

ftn95 filename.for /link

for fixed-format or

ftn95 filename.for /free /link

if it is free format fortran text and it will produce you exe file. Or there exist unusual option

ftn95 filename.for /lgo

where lgo means 'load and go' which compiles, links and even starts exe for you 😄

If you have several fortran files to compile, then after doing that, link obj files together this way:

slink filename.obj filename2.obj filename3.obj ...

You've better put all that compilation and linking in a BAT file so you will not need to type that again and again. Total Commander from www.ghisler.com is very helpful to work with command prompt and is in general a must software on every PC (even more, I have no clue how people do work on a PC without it). There exist also lot of other options to compile, but I do not use them

Or open the file in the Plato editor and click on the build button.