Give me some advice CFD in Fortran code or Matlab code.

tringuyenttt · May 28, 2013, 03:10

Dear all,
I am in a divided mind using the Matlab or Fortran code in CFD, i can use the Matlab code but not good. In Fortran code i just can just understand the code program and write a simple problem. Please give me advice? What is the advantaged and disadvantaged both of them.
Thanks.

cfdnewbie · May 28, 2013, 04:26

Matlab is great for doing 1D problems and developing new schemes, Fortran is the way to go if you want 2D and 3D production codes.

whizkid · May 28, 2013, 07:34

fortran is way faster and robust than matlab i guess...

Jonas Holdeman · May 28, 2013, 10:46

It sounds like you are in the learning process. At this stage I would recommend Matlab. Matlab has a good integrated development environment, integrating editing, execution, debugging, and graphics. You can enter a change to your code, save it with the click of a mouse, and execute it and see results immediately. You don't have to waste time compiling, linking into an executable, running the code and post-processing results.

Matlab can be slow if you program with nested do-loops Fortran style, but Matlab has features that can reduce the number of do-loops. You use explicit, interpreted Matlab more for control with the grunt-work done by compiled Matlab internals. If you are running problems with a few million degrees-of-freedom, then Fortran would be faster, but if you are developing test code with perhaps a hundred thousand DOFs, the Matlab is fast enough.

When our have your ideas working in code, you can translate to Fortran. You can always fall back on the Matlab code as a benchmark to check out your Fortran. But the issue is not 1D, 2D, or 3D, but the number of variables you need to solve for.

tringuyenttt · May 29, 2013, 09:32

Hi alls,
Thanks so much for your guide. I will try.

May 28, 2013, 03:10	Give me some advice CFD in Fortran code or Matlab code.	#1
tringuyenttt New Member Nguyen Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 21 Rep Power: 16	Dear all, I am in a divided mind using the Matlab or Fortran code in CFD, i can use the Matlab code but not good. In Fortran code i just can just understand the code program and write a simple problem. Please give me advice? What is the advantaged and disadvantaged both of them. Thanks.

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May 28, 2013, 04:26		#2
cfdnewbie Senior Member cfdnewbie Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 557 Rep Power: 20	Matlab is great for doing 1D problems and developing new schemes, Fortran is the way to go if you want 2D and 3D production codes.

May 28, 2013, 07:34		#3
whizkid Member C Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 37 Rep Power: 13	fortran is way faster and robust than matlab i guess...

May 28, 2013, 10:46		#4
Jonas Holdeman Senior Member Jonas T. Holdeman, Jr. Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 128 Rep Power: 18	It sounds like you are in the learning process. At this stage I would recommend Matlab. Matlab has a good integrated development environment, integrating editing, execution, debugging, and graphics. You can enter a change to your code, save it with the click of a mouse, and execute it and see results immediately. You don't have to waste time compiling, linking into an executable, running the code and post-processing results. Matlab can be slow if you program with nested do-loops Fortran style, but Matlab has features that can reduce the number of do-loops. You use explicit, interpreted Matlab more for control with the grunt-work done by compiled Matlab internals. If you are running problems with a few million degrees-of-freedom, then Fortran would be faster, but if you are developing test code with perhaps a hundred thousand DOFs, the Matlab is fast enough. When our have your ideas working in code, you can translate to Fortran. You can always fall back on the Matlab code as a benchmark to check out your Fortran. But the issue is not 1D, 2D, or 3D, but the number of variables you need to solve for.

May 29, 2013, 09:32		#5
tringuyenttt New Member Nguyen Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 21 Rep Power: 16	Hi alls, Thanks so much for your guide. I will try.