[Bug fortran/67039] New: Documentation of pseudorandom number intrinsics is incorrect

[Bug fortran/67039] New: Documentation of pseudorandom number intrinsics is incorrect

[spam.brian.taylor at gmail dot com]

https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=67039

            Bug ID: 67039
           Summary: Documentation of pseudorandom number intrinsics is
                    incorrect
           Product: gcc
           Version: 5.2.0
            Status: UNCONFIRMED
          Severity: trivial
          Priority: P3
         Component: fortran
          Assignee: unassigned at gcc dot gnu.org
          Reporter: spam.brian.taylor at gmail dot com
  Target Milestone: ---

The gfortran documentation for the RANDOM_NUMBER and RANDOM_SEED subroutines
indicates that they are part of Fortran 95 and later.  In fact, they were
included in the Fortran 90 standard.

The gfortran documentation for the SRAND subroutine, a GNU extension, includes
in the "Notes" section the following: "The Fortran 2003 standard specifies the
intrinsic RANDOM_SEED to initialize the pseudo-random numbers generator and
RANDOM_NUMBER to generate pseudo-random numbers."  The reference here should be
to the Fortran 90 standard, not 2003.

https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-5.2.0/gfortran/RANDOM_005fNUMBER.html#RANDOM_005fNUMBER

https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-5.2.0/gfortran/RANDOM_005fSEED.html#RANDOM_005fSEED

https://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-5.2.0/gfortran/SRAND.html#SRAND

[Bug fortran/67039] Documentation of pseudorandom number intrinsics is incorrect

[kargl at gcc dot gnu.org]

https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=67039

kargl at gcc dot gnu.org changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 CC|                            |kargl at gcc dot gnu.org

--- Comment #1 from kargl at gcc dot gnu.org ---
(In reply to Brian Taylor from comment #0)
> The gfortran documentation for the RANDOM_NUMBER and RANDOM_SEED subroutines
> indicates that they are part of Fortran 95 and later.

Well, they are part of Fortran 95 and later standards.

> In fact, they were included in the Fortran 90 standard.

Which is irrelevant as gfortran started life with the ambitions
to be a Fortran 95 compiler.  You'll note that there isn't a
-std=f90 nor -std=f77 mode.  In fact, you'll find all intrinsic
procedures in the documentation that are listed in the Fortran
95 and that also appear Fortran 90 are listed as "Fortran 95 
and later".

> The gfortran documentation for the SRAND subroutine, a GNU extension,
> includes in the "Notes" section the following: "The Fortran 2003 standard
> specifies the intrinsic RANDOM_SEED to initialize the pseudo-random numbers
> generator and RANDOM_NUMBER to generate pseudo-random numbers."  The
> reference here should be to the Fortran 90 standard, not 2003.

Yeah, this could use some word smithing. It appears
to be an attempt to discourage use of srand and rand
in favor of the standard intrinsic subprograms.  You
also left out the most incorrect part of the documentation.
gfortran uses 4 independent KISS generators, but
implementation details should probably be removed
here.

[Bug fortran/67039] Documentation of pseudorandom number intrinsics is incorrect

[dominiq at lps dot ens.fr]

https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=67039

Dominique d'Humieres <dominiq at lps dot ens.fr> changed:

           What    |Removed                     |Added
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Status|UNCONFIRMED                 |WAITING
   Last reconfirmed|                            |2015-08-29
     Ever confirmed|0                           |1

--- Comment #2 from Dominique d'Humieres <dominiq at lps dot ens.fr> ---
Resolved as WONTFIX?

[Bug fortran/67039] Documentation of pseudorandom number intrinsics is incorrect

[kargl at gcc dot gnu.org]

https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=67039

--- Comment #3 from kargl at gcc dot gnu.org ---
(In reply to Dominique d'Humieres from comment #2)
> Resolved as WONTFIX?

Probably not.  See the last 2 paragraphs in comment #1.

[Bug fortran/67039] Documentation of pseudorandom number intrinsics is incorrect

[dominiq at lps dot ens.fr]

https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=67039

--- Comment #4 from Dominique d'Humieres <dominiq at lps dot ens.fr> ---
> > Resolved as WONTFIX?
>
> Probably not.  See the last 2 paragraphs in comment #1.

Sorry, but my question was motivated by the reading of these two paragraphs!-(
Thus two more explicit questions:

(1) Shall I submit a patch to replace in the manual all the "Fortran 95 and
later" with "Fortran 90 and later" where appropriate?

(2) Shall I submit a patch to replace 

The Fortran 2003 standard specifies the intrinsic RANDOM_SEED to initialize 
the pseudo-random numbers generator and RANDOM_NUMBER to generate 
pseudo-random numbers.

with

The Fortran 9? standard specifies the intrinsic RANDOM_SEED to initialize 
the pseudo-random numbers generator and RANDOM_NUMBER to generate 
pseudo-random numbers. These intrinsics should be used in new codes.

?

[Bug fortran/67039] Documentation of pseudorandom number intrinsics is incorrect

[kargl at gcc dot gnu.org]

https://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=67039

--- Comment #5 from kargl at gcc dot gnu.org ---
(In reply to Dominique d'Humieres from comment #4)
> > > Resolved as WONTFIX?
> >
> > Probably not.  See the last 2 paragraphs in comment #1.
> 
> Sorry, but my question was motivated by the reading of these two
> paragraphs!-(
> Thus two more explicit questions:
> 
> (1) Shall I submit a patch to replace in the manual all the "Fortran 95 and
> later" with "Fortran 90 and later" where appropriate?

No.  gfortran never tried to address the Fortran 90 standard.
Whatever is stated in F90 is irrelevant to the extent that 
gfortran is a Fortran 95 compiler and F90 beget F95.

> 
> (2) Shall I submit a patch to replace 
> 
> The Fortran 2003 standard specifies the intrinsic RANDOM_SEED to initialize 
> the pseudo-random numbers generator and RANDOM_NUMBER to generate 
> pseudo-random numbers.
> 
> with
> 
> The Fortran 9? standard specifies the intrinsic RANDOM_SEED to initialize
> the pseudo-random numbers generator and RANDOM_NUMBER to generate 
> pseudo-random numbers. These intrinsics should be used in new codes.
> 

I would not not call out a particular standard version.  Probably
something like 

 The Fortran standard specifies the intrinsic subroutine RANDOM_SEED
 to initialize the pseudo-random numbers generator and the intrinsic
 subroutine RANDOM_NUMBER to generate pseudo-random numbers.  These
 subroutines should be used in new codes.