fortranplus.co.uk

Fortranplus offers three named courses, and the right one depends on your starting point: Introduction to Programming with Modern Fortran if you have little or no programming experience, Advanced Modern Fortran if you already program in another language or have finished the introductory course, and Conversion to modern Fortran if you maintain legacy Fortran 66 or 77 code. All three can be tailored to a client's needs, so the descriptions below are starting points for a conversation rather than fixed syllabuses.

Match your background to a course

The Introduction and Advanced courses form a sequence; the Conversion course is a separate track aimed at existing legacy code rather than at learning to program from scratch.

What each course is for

Introduction to Programming with Modern Fortran

This is the entry point. It assumes no prior programming background, so it has to cover programming fundamentals alongside modern Fortran itself. Choose it if terms like variables, loops, and subroutines are new to you, or if you have only ever written scripts in a high-level tool and want a structured grounding.

Advanced Modern Fortran

This course serves two audiences at once: people continuing from the introductory course, and experienced programmers from other languages. The site's keyword list points to the topics associated with modern Fortran at this level — Fortran 2003 and Fortran 2008 features, object-oriented programming in Fortran, and parallel programming with Fortran. If you already know how to program, this is where you start rather than repeating fundamentals.

Conversion to modern Fortran

Aimed at organisations and individuals holding Fortran 66 and 77 code. The goal is migration to modern Fortran rather than introductory teaching. If your task is "make this old codebase maintainable and current," this is the relevant course.

Delivery, prerequisites, and tailoring

The site states that both main courses can be tailored to suit clients' needs, and the Conversion course exists as a distinct offering for legacy code. That means prerequisites are negotiable in practice: if your team mixes beginners and experienced developers, or has a specific codebase to work against, the sensible move is to describe your situation and let Fortranplus propose a format.

The published material does not specify delivery format (in-person versus online), duration, or price for any course. Treat those as questions to ask directly rather than assumptions — the site provides a contact route and a course evaluation form, which indicates courses are run for real clients and feedback is collected.

Enrolling and getting answers

1. Go to the Fortranplus site and open the Fortran Courses section to review the three course descriptions.
2. Use the Contact Fortranplus page to state your background (no experience / another language / legacy Fortran 66–77 code), your goal, and your preferred timing.
3. Ask explicitly about delivery format, duration, prerequisites, and cost, since these are not published on the pages reviewed here.
4. If you want the course adapted, say so — tailoring is offered for the main courses.

Before you commit: use the free resource file

Fortranplus publishes a Fortran resource file, updated 21 December 2025, covering Fortran compilers, books, courses, and discussion forums. If you are still deciding whether to take a course at all, this is a low-cost way to check what tooling and self-study material exist. It is also useful after training, when you need a compiler or a reference book.

When training alone is not enough

Fortranplus also offers a consultancy service, documented on its consultancy pages. If your problem is a specific codebase — performance, porting, or integrating Fortran with C++, Python, or Linux — consultancy may fit better than a standard course. The site's keyword list includes C++, Python, and Linux alongside the Fortran topics, which suggests cross-language work is within scope.

Practical next step

Decide which of the three descriptions matches your situation using the table above, then contact Fortranplus with that description and your constraints. If you are unsure between Introduction and Advanced, the deciding question is simple: have you programmed before in any language? If yes, Advanced; if no, Introduction. If your real problem is old code rather than new skills, ask about Conversion.

Fortranplus offers three main Fortran training courses, and the right one depends on your starting point: Introduction to Programming with Modern Fortran if you have little or no programming experience, Advanced Modern Fortran if you already program in another language or have completed the introductory course, and Conversion to modern Fortran if you maintain legacy Fortran 66 or 77 code. All three can be tailored to a client's needs, so the descriptions below are a starting filter rather than a final decision.

Quick comparison

Introduction to Programming with Modern Fortran

Choose this course if you are new to programming altogether. Fortranplus describes it as suitable for complete beginners with little or no programming experience, which means it does not assume you already know loops, arrays, or subroutines from another language. The course teaches programming through modern Fortran rather than treating Fortran as a second language.

If you have never written code before, this is the entry point — the other two courses assume prior knowledge that you would not yet have.

Advanced Modern Fortran

This course serves two audiences at once:

• People who completed the introductory course and want to go further.
• Experienced programmers in another language (C++, Python, and similar) who want to convert to modern Fortran.

If you already think in terms of functions, data structures, and program flow, you do not need the beginner material — you need the Fortran-specific idioms and features. That is what this course targets. The Fortranplus site also lists object oriented programming in Fortran and parallel programming with Fortran among its topic keywords, which indicates the advanced end of modern Fortran is in scope.

Conversion to modern Fortran

Pick this course if your situation is a codebase rather than a skill gap. Fortranplus specifically offers it "for people with legacy Fortran 66 and 77 code." The goal is moving that code toward modern Fortran, not learning programming from scratch.

This is the right fit when you can already read and write Fortran but your code reflects decades-old standards and you want to bring it forward.

How to decide

Work through these questions in order:

1. Do you have legacy Fortran 66/77 code to modernise? If yes, the Conversion course addresses your actual problem.
2. Can you already program in another language? If yes, go to Advanced Modern Fortran — it explicitly targets converts from C++, Python, and similar languages.
3. Are you a complete beginner? If yes, start with Introduction to Programming with Modern Fortran.
4. Did you finish the introductory course? Then Advanced Modern Fortran is the follow-on.

Tailoring and next step

Fortranplus states that both main courses can be tailored to suit clients' needs, so if your situation sits between categories — for example, a mixed team of beginners and experienced developers — the course content can be adjusted rather than forcing everyone into one fixed track.

To confirm the best fit, contact Fortranplus directly. The site also maintains a Fortran resource file (updated 21 December 2025) covering compilers, books, courses, and discussion forums, which is useful background before you commit to a course.

Fortranplus offers three named Fortran training courses, and the right one depends on your starting point rather than on how advanced you want to feel. If you have little or no programming experience, take Introduction to Programming with Modern Fortran. If you already program in another language or have finished the introductory course, take Advanced Modern Fortran. If you maintain legacy Fortran 66 or 77 code, take the Conversion to modern Fortran course. All three can be tailored to a client's needs, and Fortranplus also provides consultancy if your situation doesn't fit a standard course.

Match your background to the course

The dividing line between the first two courses is prior programming experience, not familiarity with Fortran. The Advanced course is designed to serve two audiences at once: beginners who have just finished the introduction, and experienced programmers from other languages who want to convert to modern Fortran.

Introduction to Programming with Modern Fortran

This is the entry point. It assumes little or no programming experience, so it starts from programming fundamentals rather than from Fortran syntax alone. Choose it if you are new to programming entirely, or if you have never written code in any language and want modern Fortran as your first language.

If you already write C++, Python, or another language comfortably, this course is likely to spend time on material you already know.

Advanced Modern Fortran

This is the follow-on course, and it deliberately targets two groups:

• People who completed the introductory course and want to go further.
• People with experience in another programming language who want to convert to modern Fortran.

That second group is the reason the course exists as a separate option rather than as a pure "part two." If you are a working programmer in another language, this is the course aimed at you, even though you haven't taken the introductory course.

Conversion to modern Fortran

This course exists for one specific problem: legacy Fortran 66 and 77 code. If your work involves maintaining, modernising, or migrating that code, this is the correct choice — neither the introductory nor the advanced course is described as addressing legacy conversion.

The site's keyword set also points to related advanced topics such as object oriented programming in Fortran and parallel programming with Fortran, which sit in the modern-Fortran space that the Advanced and Conversion courses address.

Tailoring and consultancy

Both main courses — and the courses generally — can be tailored to suit clients' needs. That matters if you are booking for a team with mixed backgrounds, or if your project needs a specific focus rather than a standard syllabus.

Fortranplus also offers a Fortran consultancy service, described on its consultancy pages. Consultancy is the route to consider when your need is project-specific rather than course-shaped — for example, when you need help with a particular codebase rather than general training.

Practical notes before you decide

• The site provides a Fortran resource file with current Fortran information, including compilers, books, courses, and discussion forums; it is listed as updated 21 December 2025.
• Fortranplus also publishes Fortran books, with example sets for the 1st through 4th editions plus a Fortran 77 book, which can support self-study alongside or instead of a course.
• The site lists a course evaluation form, and includes past participant feedback describing the course materials, practical content, and tutor arrangements positively. Treat these as the provider's own published testimonials rather than independent reviews.
• The site does not publish prices or booking/payment details in the material available here, so confirm cost, format, and scheduling directly with Fortranplus before committing.

A quick decision rule

Ask one question first: do you already have Fortran 66 or 77 code to deal with?

• Yes → Conversion to modern Fortran.
• No → do you already program in another language, or have you completed the introductory course?
  • Yes → Advanced Modern Fortran.
  • No → Introduction to Programming with Modern Fortran.

If your team spans more than one of these categories, or your goal is tied to a specific project, ask about tailoring or consultancy instead of forcing everyone into a single standard course.