Politically incorrect languages for supercomputing-a panel discussion

It is pointed out that the set of languages used to program supercomputers has evolved from hand-coded assembler and partially vectorized Fortran to include such diverse possibilities as C++, Sisal, and even Ada. It is noted that proponents of these languages are often fanatical in their support, attempting to share the obvious advantages of a particular language with their skeptical colleagues. This paper brings together a diverse group of supercomputer and parallel programming experts to advocate and debate the merits of several current and emerging programming languages and paradigms being used in the supercomputing arena. The intent of the panel is not to arrive at a determination of `best´, but to expand the awareness of the audience that there is a new generation of programming languages and techniques emerging that is applicable to the supercomputing domain