		 README file for ftnchek version 3.0

Author: Robert Moniot
	Fordham University
	New York, NY  10023  USA
	Telephone: (212) 636-6311
	E-mail:  moniot@fordham.edu

Date:	September 18, 2000

Ftnchek (short for Fortran checker) is designed to detect certain
errors in a Fortran program that a compiler usually does not.  Ftnchek
is not primarily intended to detect syntax errors.  Its purpose is to
assist the user in finding semantic errors.  Semantic errors are legal
in the Fortran language but are wasteful or may cause incorrect
operation.  For example, variables which are never used may indicate
some omission in the program; uninitialized variables contain garbage
which may cause incorrect results to be calculated; and variables
which are not declared may not have the intended type.

Ftnchek is written in C.  You must have a C compiler for the machine
on which you wish to build it.  The URL for ftnchek's home page is
http://www.dsm.fordham.edu/~ftnchek.  Source code and other
information is available there.


		  INSTALLING FTNCHEK
		  ------------------

See the file INSTALL for detailed instructions on how to install
ftnchek on your system.


		   NEW FEATURES
		   ------------

Here are the new features in version 3.0:

   o Statement labels are now processed, instead of being ignored as
     formerly.  Tables of label definitions and cross-references can
     be printed, and warnings about incorrect or suspicious label
     usage are produced.  This new feature was added by Heba Elsayed.

   o The SELECT CASE construct is now accepted.  The syntax is
     as defined in Fortran 90.  This new feature was added by John
     Bollinger.

   o The END PROGRAM, END FUNCTION, END SUBROUTINE and END BLOCKDATA
     statements are accepted.  No checking for balance is done.

   o Source code can be in Fortran 90 free format or traditional fixed
     format.  Also, a semicolon is allowed as a statement separator.

   o The -crossref flag now takes a list of options, instead of being
     an on/off switch.

   o Fixed bug that caused DO label [,] WHILE (expr) form of DO
     construct not to be recognized.  This bug was introduced in
     version 2.11.0.

   o The ftnpp program has been unbundled from the distribution.  It
     is available from the same places as ftnchek.

   o When checking the test suite (Unix version), detailed differences
     between master files and output files are no longer printed.
     Only the names of the differing files are printed.

   o Restructured the source code into smaller files for increased
     ease of maintenance.


NOTE: For VMS, it is recommendend to obtain the file shell_mung.c.
This file is not necessary to build ftnchek, but without it wildcards
in file names on the command line will not be expanded.  This file is
no longer bundled with ftnchek, but is obtainable at the ftnchek home
site and elsewhere.
