BRITISH COMPUTER SOCIETY FORTRAN SPECIALIST GROUP

MINUTES of a MEETING, on Tuesday,

7th April, 1970, at B.C.S.

Headquarters, 29 Portland Place,

London, W.1.

PRESENT:        Mr J. S. Gatehouse (Chairman)  General Electric Co. Ltd.

                Mr R. E. Small                 CAP Ltd.

                Mr J. P. Holland               Tunnel Cement Ltd.

                Dr A. C. Day                   U.C.L. Computer Centre

                Mr I. A. G. Snowball           A.E.R.E., Harwell

                Mr B. H. Shearing              Alcock Shearing & Partners

                Mr D. T. Muxworthy             Edinburgh Regional Computing Centre

                Mr D. T. O'Leary               Computer Systems & Programming

                Mr K. E. Bicknell              Rothamsted Experimental Station

                Mr K. F. James                 International Computers Ltd.

                Mr J. R. Keane                 International Computers Ltd.

                Mr I. D. Hill                  Medical Research Council

                Mr M. Garside                  University of Kent at Canterbury

                Mrs B. Swann                   EE/AEI Turbine Generators

                Mr R. H. Gooding               R.A.E., Farnborough

                Mr J. C. Cullen                B.P., London

                Mr C. K. Mackinnon             U.K.A,E.A., Risley

                Mr A. D. Johnson               Ministry of Technology

                Mr J. R. Main                  NCR, London

                Mr D. K. White                 NCR, London

                Mr L. I. Brown                 Kienzle Data Systems

                Mr K. Hallinan                 IRDC, Univac

                Mr W. Hilder                   Radiacs Ltd.

                Mr H. W. Bradly (Assistant     GEC Power Engineering Ltd.

                                 Secretary)

                Mrs M. M. Barritt (Secretary)  Edinburgh Regional Computing Centre

APOLOGIES FOR

ABSENCE:        Mrs Cairns                     University of Glasgow

                Mr T. D. Palmer                National Coal Board

                Dr I. C. Pyle                  A.E.R.E., Harwell

1.

STATEMENT BY       The purpose of the meeting is to proceed with the formal setting

THE CHAIRMAN      up of the British Computer Society FORTRAN Specialist Group. It

is felt that publicity has now been wide enough to ensure that

everyone who would wish to know about the proposal to set up the

Group, does now do so. The membership seems to be encouraging.

The position of the computer manufacturers is not clear, however.

There were three members at the meeting, namely ICL, NCR and

KDS. Marconi-Elliott have asked to be represented by the Chairman.

Univac and STS had representatives at the Interim Meeting but did

not appear to be present at this meeting, and similarly, this

applies to the National Computing Centre.

 The terms of reference suggested in the BCS Bulletin contribution

were discussed and it was decided to add that performance of

FORTRAN Compilers, where it naturally arises in the context of

discussion to the topics specified in the Bulletin, would be

discussed and would not be excluded from any prepared reports.

However. at this stage, it would not be taken as a major objective

in its own right.

2.

APPROVAL OF       Minutes of the meeting of 17th February 1970 were approved.

MINUTES

3.

MATTERS      (i)  It was requested that a copy of the distribution list 

ARISING           be attached to the Minutes of this meeting to ensure

                  that the names and addresses of those involved are

                  known to all members.

            (ii)  The Chairman advised that he would raise with the BCS

Publications Department, the wider issue of holding

copies of the USASCII American Standards document in

this country, He would investigate immediate access

for the FORTRAN Specialist Group.

It has been learned since the meeting that stocks of

American Standards are held at the Sales Branch of the

British Standards Institution, 101 Pentonville Road,

London, N.1.

Mr James (ICL) noted that the intermediate level referred

to in 2(b) of the Minutes of 17th February was in fact

ECMA FORTRAN, a subset of ASI dated April, 1965.

4.

COMMUNICATIONS     The Chairman advised that the BCS FORTRAN Specialist Group can

WITH THE BCS      only speak for itself and not the BCS. The route is that

STANDARDS         deliberations are directed by BCS Standards Committee to

COMMITTEES ETC.   International organisations through the B.S.I.

 The Standards Committee is expected to establish a Sub-Committee

which may equate to the Specialist Group.

 The letter from Mr Dennis E. Hamilton was read to the meeting.

It was clear that funds for special visits to the States would

not be available, but there may be sufficient financial support

to cover an extension of an existing visit to attend a USASCII

meeting on behalf of the Specialist Group.

 In discussion on the trend of the ASI Committee, Mr James and

the Secretary were in agreement that the objectives were seen

to be practical steps to standardise and enhance facilities

to the existing FORTRAN language structure and not to design

a language as in the case of the Algol 60 and Algol 68 Committees.

5.

WORKING            There was considerable discussion about the nature, objectives

PARTIES           and remit which Working Parties might have.

 It was agreed that members wished to work on specific

objectives and that these could best be attempted by setting

up the following Working Parties to which it would be possible

for some members to contribute by post.

 The Chairman of each Working Party would therefore like to hear

from all members interested in his topic.

             (i)  Extensions to the ASI FORTRAN IV.

                        Chairman: Mr B. H. Shearing

            (ii)  Adaptation to conversational use (all levels

                   of FORTRAN). To characterise what has been done,

                   e.g, GEIS and Hewlett-Packard systems,

                       Chairman: Mr H. W. Bradly

           (iii)  FORTRAN on small machines

                   The upper limit would be an IBM 1130.

                   To identify the levels, nature and extent of FORTRAN

                   facilities in use on small machines.

                       Chairman: Mr M. J. Garside

 In response to Mr Shearing's comments, the Chairman invited

the meeting to appoint a Steering Committee to ensure liaison

between the Working Parties and to establish more detailed

terms of reference

 The Steering Committee membership would be the Chairman,

Dr I. C. Pyle, the Secretaries, Mr B. H. Shearing and

Mr M. J. Garside.

 In regard to the original proposals on the Agenda, it was agreed

that    (a) Is being effectively tackled by the ASI Committee.

        (b) Has already been done by the Shearing and Muxworthy

            Report.

        (c) and (d) are being set up as above.

 It was further recognised that there may be five de-facto

levels of FORTRAN:

        (0) Level 0 - small machines - "primitive"

        (1) Basic

        (2) Intermediate

        (3) ASI FORTRAN

        (4) ASI + as on IBM 360, UNIVAC FORTRANV etc.

6.

NEXT               The first meeting of the Steering Committee will be held

MEETING           on Tuesday, 30th June 1970, and the next meeting of the

                  Specialist Group will be on Tuesday, 8th September, 1970.

                  [There is no information on the Steering Committee meeting,

                        if it took place.]

                  MEMBERSHIP OF BRITISH COMPUTER SOCIETY FORTRAN SPECIALIST

                                           GROUP

The list of names and addresses of 54 'members' and 13 'postal members' is not reproduced.