Definition

Noun: A Fortran program is a complete set of coded instructions, written in the FORTRAN programming language, designed to be executed by a computer to perform a specific task or calculation.

Usage

A Fortran program is a specific type of software application. It refers to the source code file(s) written by a programmer, which must then be compiled into machine code before it can be run. * The scientist developed a Fortran program to model climate patterns. * Legacy systems in engineering often rely on a critical Fortran program. * To execute the simulation, you must first compile the Fortran program.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical or technical contexts discussing scientific computing, as FORTRAN was one of the first high-level programming languages.
• It can be used metonymically to refer to the executable output after compilation, though technically the program is the source code.
  • The Fortran program has been running this analysis for decades without error.

Variants and Related Words

• FORTRAN: (noun) The programming language itself, an acronym for "FORmula TRANslation".
• Source code: (noun) The human-readable instructions written by a programmer, of which a Fortran program is an example.
• Executable: (noun) The compiled, machine-readable file that results from processing a Fortran program.

Synonyms

• FORTRAN code
• FORTRAN source code
• FORTRAN application (less common)

Notes on Meaning

• The term specifically denotes a program the FORTRAN language. It is not a synonym for a program that performs a particular function (like a "calculation program"); the language used is its defining characteristic.
• While "FORTRAN" is often written in all caps, "Fortran program" is commonly written with only an initial capital.

Noun

1. a program written in FORTRAN