The working group noted that there is a hierarchy in the choice of programming paradigms. When it comes to computationally intensive parts of programs, however, applications researchers are more likely to use a language for which the compilers are more efficient, such as Fortran. This situation is in contrast to item 1 above. Furthermore, the hardware technology cycle is faster than the robust tool development cycle, leading to constant pressure on paradigm development. Portability of applications is an important consideration.
Portability is vital, in view of the diversity of computer architectures.
It is not so much the case that users expect to be moving their codes daily, but rather that the underlying hardware is still in a state of flux. Informal standards are emerging. The need for portability across architectures has been noted, not only by the users, but also by the vendors. As a result, informal volunteer efforts have emerged during the past year to address this issue. This effort is expected to continue to extend the class of algorithms and data structures addressed.