Is an IDE Necessary for Debugging Fortran Code?

  • Context: Fortran 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Saladsamurai
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Eclipse Fortran
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the necessity and functionality of an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for debugging Fortran code, specifically within the context of using Eclipse with the Parallel Tools Platform. Participants explore issues related to project setup, makefiles, and compiler configurations on Mac OS.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes their experience setting up a Fortran project in Eclipse and encountering build issues, suggesting they are more familiar with older Fortran environments.
  • Another participant questions the contents of the makefile, indicating that an empty makefile could be a source of the problem.
  • Some participants discuss the necessity of a makefile for specifying compilation and linking instructions, while others express uncertainty about the relevance of makefiles in modern programming.
  • There is a suggestion to switch project types to "Executable (GNU Fortran on MacOS X)" for a more straightforward setup.
  • A participant confirms the presence of gfortran on their system but encounters a "command not found" error when building in Eclipse, indicating a potential PATH environment issue.
  • Further discussion involves checking the current directory and ensuring that Eclipse can locate the gfortran compiler, with some participants suggesting commands to diagnose the issue.
  • One participant expresses confusion about the PATH variable and its role in the environment configuration.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the necessity of an IDE for debugging Fortran code, and multiple competing views on project setup and configuration remain. There is ongoing uncertainty regarding the correct setup for Eclipse and the role of makefiles.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include unclear assumptions about the environment setup, the specific configurations required for Eclipse, and the handling of makefiles in the context of Fortran programming.

  • #61
AlephZero said:
An IDE doesn't debug your code for you.

You debug code by thinking. and playing with an IDE is often a distraction from that.

Of course you need a debugger to tell you the basic information like where your code crashed. But 99% of the time you can get all the information you need from a core dump and a stack trace, wthout the pretty graphics.

I AlphaZero! :smile: I was just messing around with XCode and I noticed the term GDB everywhere. So I looked it up. It's a debugger! So yes, I understand now that an IDE is not a debugger.

So let's say for a second that I want to get into programming without an IDE. So I would need to learn about these things that you mentioned: core dump, stack trace and probably other things as well. Are these things that are generated by the 'debugger' (e.g. GDB)?
 
Technology news on Phys.org
  • #62
AlephZero said:
An IDE doesn't debug your code for you.

You debug code by thinking. and playing with an IDE is often a distraction from that.

Of course you need a debugger to tell you the basic information like where your code crashed. But 99% of the time you can get all the information you need from a core dump and a stack trace, wthout the pretty graphics.

I kind of like point-and-click, multiple-views and language-sensitive-keyboard-shortcuts to make it easier to find compiler errors and to debug code. :)

To find problems in mathematical formulas I agree that an IDE tends to distract.
 

Similar threads

Fortran Fortran Code Help for Mechanical Engineers | Solving Debugging Issues
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
4K
Fortran Help with Debugging Fortran Code | Plato Compiler
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Fortran What Is the Best Fortran 77 IDE for Beginners?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
5K
Fortran How does Fortran know the Inputs and Outputs of Subroutines
  • · Replies 59 ·
2
Replies
59
Views
12K
Fortran Density of state of a linear lattice
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
2K
Fortran Fortran 77: Recording the output
  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
6K
Fortran Reading an existing file into a fortran code
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Fortran [FORTRAN] Code misassigning values
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
2K
Fortran Learning Fortran: Compilers, Debugging & More
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Fortran How to Create an Executable in Intel Fortran Using Visual Studio?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K