Monthly newsletter for February 2021

[awvwgk]

I put together a draft for the February monthly newsletter and populated it from the repository activities.

• collect PRs from stdlib
• collect PRs from fpm, setup-fpm and fpm-registry
• collect PRs from fortran-lang.org
• add link to Fortran monthly call recording
• update contributor data (@LKedward)
• add call info for next GSoC discussion meeting (@milancurcic)
• add updates on classic flang
• add updates on LLVM flang
• add updates on LFortran (@certik)

Please review and edit if needed. As usual, please add your name to the authors list if you add, edit, or review content.

[LKedward]

Thanks for starting! I'll update contributor data tomorrow.

[milancurcic]

Thanks for starting it. Do you think we should mention GSoC to try gather early interest from prospective students? Something like:

This year fortran-lang will be applying as an Org for Google Summer of Code. We started working on the application and the project ideas. If you'd like to help us flesh them out, please join our video call on (Milan TODO). If you're a student and you'd like to help build the Fortran ecosystem, or have a project idea you'd like to work on, please reach out and let us know (how exactly? Milan TODO).

I think this would go in the Events section.

[milancurcic]

Regarding news from Classic Flang and LLVM Flang: @AlexisPerry, would you like to provide updates from both Flang projects for the monthly newsletter? We distribute these on the mailing list (131 subscribers), Discourse, and Twitter (604 followers). Flang updates in the newsletter may bring new users, and who knows, maybe even new contributors.

Here's a sample newsletter from last month and what Flang updates look like: https://fortran-lang.org/newsletter/2021/01/01/Fortran-Newsletter-January-2021/#compilers

Previously @gklimowicz has been helping with these, but he stepped back and mentioned your name. It would be very helpful if you agreed to do it! :)

[milancurcic]

@certik Are there any updates from LFortran? It'd be great if this newsletter can go out today.

I suggest we drop the Flang updates this month, and continue next month if we find a contributor.

[certik]

Let's drop LFortran also for this month.

[AlexisPerry]

Sorry for the delay in response. I did not realize this was due today. Since I'm new to this project, haven't learned the workflow yet, and we're on a short deadline, I'll just put my Flang updates here for now and would appreciate it if someone could integrate them into the document for me just this once. If that's not a workable solution, please let me know how best to contribute and I will do so ASAP. Thanks!

### Classic Flang

There are a number of pull requests out for evaluation.

A total of 12 pull requests were merged in January.

* [PR#932 Do not assume unempty derived types](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/932)
* [PR#957 Support Prefetch Directive](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/957)
* [PR#947 Fix gcc-10 compilaton issues](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/947)
* [PR#948 Expand CI to run with GCC-9/10 and LLVM-9/10/11](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/948)
* [PR#949 USE rename should check if renamed sptr is available in the scope](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/949)
* [PR#971 Remove dwarfdump_prolog.f90 test since it is dependent on codegen](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/971)
* [PR#940 Flang should generate debug location for limited instructions in prolog](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/940)
* [PR#977 Update apt data before installing sphinx](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/977)
* [PR#751 Fix for len intrinsic returning int*8 in some cases](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/751)
* [PR#956 Minor FileCheck pattern fixes](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/956)
* [PR#978 Fix the readme to point to the correct flang-dev list](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/978)
* [PR#979 Rename direct header to avoid windows conflict](https://github.com/flang-compiler/flang/pull/979)


### LLVM Flang

Recent development updates:

* OpenMP semantic checks: private, firstprivate, lastprivate, Workshare Construct, `DO` loop restrictions
* Detect call to abstract interface
* OpenMP - add task_reduction clause, make reduction clause part of OmpClause
* New Driver - adding support for various options, testing improvements, standard macro pre-definitions, fixed-form detection, CMake improvements
* OpenACC - semantic checks to enforce declare directive restrictions
* Internal subprogram improvements
* OpenMP/OpenACC - Extend CheckNoBranching to handle branching provided by LabelEnforce
* Disallow `INTENT` attribute on procedure dummy arguments
* Module file improvements and bug fixes
* Add tests for procedure arguments with implicit interfaces

Call notes will be sent to the _flang-dev_ email list and also recorded [here]( https://docs.google.com/document/d/10T-S2J3GrahpG4Ooif93NSTz2zBW0MQc_RlwHi0-afY)\
.

[milancurcic]

Thank you, @AlexisPerry!

[awvwgk]

Thanks @AlexisPerry, I added the flang updates to the newsletter. One way to contribute content to the newletter is by creating a review comment on the respective section and add the updates using GitHub's suggestion feature:

```suggestion
...
```

[milancurcic]

I think this is good to go. @awvwgk please merge when ready, and thank you all!

[AlexisPerry]

Thanks @AlexisPerry, I added the flang updates to the newsletter. One way to contribute content to the newletter is by creating a review comment on the respective section and add the updates using GitHub's suggestion feature:

```suggestion
...

Thank you so much @awvwgk ! I'll go that route next month. :-)