(j3.2006) (SC22WG5.5039) WG5 vote on draft TS on further coarray features

[David Muxworthy]

> Please answer the following question "Is N1983 ready for forwarding to 
> SC22 as the DTS?" in one of these ways. 
> 
> 1) Yes.
> 2) Yes, but I recommend the following changes. 
> 3) No, for the following reasons.
> 4) Abstain.

I acknowledge the work done by the HPC subgroup but my vote is 'no' on
a matter of principle.  The TR/TS system in Fortran was intended to
try out new facilities in parallel with the main language, analogous
to beta-testing, and to incorporate them into the standard when they
had proved stable across platforms.  The proposals for the current TS
do not remotely meet these criteria.  Although the material has been
around for several years, the requirements were being revised only
last month and the specification is still being developed.  Edits to
the specification from no fewer than 18 papers (15 of them 'r' papers)
were approved in June.

Van has already raised one technical point and over thirty editorial
glitches.  Clearly the document is not ready to forward to SC22.  I
very much agree with his comment:

   It looks like much of this stuff has had only a few moments'
   reflection before being proposed to be cast in concrete.  Sure,
   Cray might have done some of it already, and their customers might
   use it successfully, but that doesn't mean it's the best solution,
   or even a good one.

   I'd rather see more discussion, introspection, consensus, and
   experience, and less controversy, before we rush to publish a
   definitive solution as a Technical Specification that is almost
   promised to end up as part of the standard.

Well said, Van!
----------------------

David