July 1, 1991
Fortran 90 standardized
In July 1991, the FortranFormula Translation — one of the first high-level languages, dominant in science and engineering. 90 standard was published — the first major modernization of FortranFormula Translation — one of the first high-level languages, dominant in science and engineering. since 1977, with reusable code modules and whole-array math.
What it was for
FortranFormula Translation — one of the first high-level languages, dominant in science and engineering. 90 let scientists write `A = B + C` on entire arrays instead of hand-written loops, and organize code into reusable modules. It kept FortranFormula Translation — one of the first high-level languages, dominant in science and engineering. dominant on supercomputers while borrowing ideas from newer languages. Modern FortranFormula Translation — one of the first high-level languages, dominant in science and engineering. (2003, 2008, 2018) builds on this foundation.
Why it's here
FortranFormula Translation — one of the first high-level languages, dominant in science and engineering. 90 was the first big rewrite in fourteen years — array-style math and modules changed how large scientific programs were organized.
Why it mattered
It kept FortranFormula Translation — one of the first high-level languages, dominant in science and engineering. the default on supercomputers while making code shorter and easier to share across research teams.
What it solved
FORTRAN 77 couldn't express modern numerical algorithms cleanly; researchers needed array-level operations and reusable libraries.
Media
- ImageFortran
Fortran-lang community, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Related
- FORTRAN 77 standardizedApril 3, 1978
- Fortran 95 standardizedDecember 4, 1997