> nikhil.kaviman...@gmail.com wrote:

>> Dear Colleagues,

>>    First of all, pardon me if some of the questions I ask seem
>> trivial. I am jumping into Fortran programming after a period of 6-7
>> years and I am not in touch with many of the current practices. I have
>> the following goals I want to achieve

>> - Develop a fortran program to solve 15-30 simultaneous Ordinary
>> Differential Equations (ODEs) such that the user of the program is
>> able to input (i) various constants for solving the DEs (ii) another
>> time dependent input function [X(t)] with the result that the
>> mathematical model of ODEs transforms X(t) into Y_predicted(t).

>> - I also need to optimize the model parameters such that the predicted
>> Y_predicted(t) matches with a user defined Y_experimental(t)

> Write this in Fortran as a standalone program which reads the
> user-specified bits from a text file. Make the text file format
> "obvious" (e.g. have a comment before each piece of information saying
> what it is. And have the Fortran program write the results out in a
> similar way.

> Note: I'm assuming the computational part is effectively a black box -
> no need for interaction half way through.

>> - I also want to develop a 'good' GUI so that a user who is not
>> familiar with programming languages should be able to use the software
>> (inputting data through an 'excel-like' interface, filling in values
>> for constants through the interface, analyzing the results, etc). I am
>> hoping for a good 'look and feel' for the software.

> As a first pass, you/your users can fill in a dummy text file using a
> standard text editor. This probably won't be enough in the long run, but
> it will allow you to concentrate on the mathematical part of the program
> without worrying about GUI programming.

> Then, decide what tool you want to use for the GUI - could be just about
> anything. All it needs to be able to do, compatibility-wise, is write
> the text file in the format that your Fortran program expects (and read
> the results back in).

> This has the advantages that saving old sets of input and results
> happens near-automatically (all you need to do is to allow the user to
> change the names of the files), and that, for instance, you can easily
> have the Fortran program run in batch mode on several different input
> files.

>> I would like to get your inputs on the following specific questions:

>> 1. I selected Fortran since (i) I am somewhat familiar with it (ii) I
>> am given to understand that while some other options (JEE5 for
>> instance) are good for developing a GUI, they may not be efficient for
>> scientific operations. Am I right in my selection of Fortran? How does
>> Fortran compare with C++ for my kind of applications?

> I think Fortran's a good choice here for the computation code.

>> 2. What is the cheapest (better yet, free) software that will provide
>> me a integrated environment for (i) writing the program and (ii)
>> developing the GUI, as the next alternative, if I have to use two
>> different options for writing the code and developing GUI, what are my
>> options?

> There is no single integrated environment which will give you all three
> of the Fortran language, a compiler, and a VB-like GUI development. Not
> even for $$$. As others have said, if you want a real good look-and-feel
> without a LOT of work, you'll either have to pay for something like
> Winteracter or GINO on top of your Fortran compiler, or you'll have to
> write the GUI in a different language.

>> 3. Can one write Fortran codes in Visual Basic? If yes, is this the
>> best option considering VB will help me develop the GUI as well?

> I've heard it said that you can write Fortran in any language :) But no,
> a VB compiler can't understand Fortran, and I wouldn't recommend writing
> numerical codes in VB. VB would be a good, simple to learn, and not too
> expensive choice for the GUI, though. (Though personally I'd go with
> Delphi over VB - similar environment, Pascal rather than Basic).

> Hope this helps,

> Catherine.