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Glite Dictionary
Fortran compiler

Fortran compiler

6.7
A program that turns Fortran code into code a computer can run
  • noun
  • /ˈfɔːrtræn kəmˈpaɪlər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : compilador de Fortran
  • When programming in Fortran, having a reliable Fortran compiler is essential for debugging your code.

Examples

  • They use templates to avoid creating intermediate objects for transposes or scalar-matrix products, just like a good Fortran compiler.

    Blog text (32)

  • To run the simulation, you need to install a Fortran compiler that converts your source code into machine code.

  • The program was compiled with the GNU Fortran compiler, linked with the MPICH MPI library.

    Academic text (2018)

  • The Fortran compiler efficiently translates scientific calculations into instructions that the computer can understand.

Synonyms

compiler
vsFortran compiler
  • Specialized
14 5.5

A program that turns code written by people into machine code

is limited to a single source language rather than any high-level language
translator
vsFortran compiler
  • Specialized
7 4.1

A computer program that changes code from one programming language to another

denotes software restricted to one source language and its outputs
compiling program
vsFortran compiler
  • Specialized
5.2

A program that turns programming code into instructions the computer can run

focuses on one particular source language instead of general high-level code
translating program
vsFortran compiler
  • Specialized
3.6

A computer tool that changes code from one programming language to another

translates only code written in a specific language rather than any source

Surface Forms

Fortran compiler singular
Fortran compilers plural

Morphology

FORTRAN + compiler

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound where the first noun (FORTRAN) specifies the language and the second (compiler) names the software that translates code; the overall meaning is directly compositional. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can easily infer it refers to a compiler for the FORTRAN programming language, a pattern common across languages.

Etymology

Fortran compiler comes from Fortran, short for 'Formula Translation', because the language was made to turn scientists' math formulas into programs. A compiler is a tool that 'translates' Fortran code into a form a computer can run, so a Fortran compiler is the program that lets a computer run FORTRAN programs.