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Monsignor Funkibut · 01-November-05, 07:12 PM

There are two things I've learned using Fortran although they often apply to other languages.

1] Checkpoints: If at some point in a program you compute A and then you compute B and A*B = Pi or some other such thing, actually check and MAKE SURE that if you multiply A*B it does equal Pi. Yeah it's extra code and you have to debug the extra code but trust me it's worth it.

2] State save: If a program is going to run more than 15 minutes, chances are some underpaid tape monkey will bring the system down for unscheduled maintenance when you are about 15 minutes from being done. Are you ready to lose six days work? A days work? Every so often, dump every important variable to a file and every time the program starts have it load that file so you can always pick up where you left off.

-MF

01-November-05, 07:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
Monsignor Funkibut Master VB Pr'hoe'grammer Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Tucker, Ga Posts: 1,839	Non-Fortran Fortran There are two things I've learned using Fortran although they often apply to other languages. 1] Checkpoints: If at some point in a program you compute A and then you compute B and AB = Pi or some other such thing, actually check and MAKE SURE that if you multiply AB it does equal Pi. Yeah it's extra code and you have to debug the extra code but trust me it's worth it. 2] State save: If a program is going to run more than 15 minutes, chances are some underpaid tape monkey will bring the system down for unscheduled maintenance when you are about 15 minutes from being done. Are you ready to lose six days work? A days work? Every so often, dump every important variable to a file and every time the program starts have it load that file so you can always pick up where you left off. -MF __________________ The Danse, The Parfum, The Man .....