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From: cdb@hpclcdb.HP.COM (Carl Burch)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.fortran
Subject: Re: Using END= and ERR= in READs
Message-ID: <6690023@hpclcdb.HP.COM>
Date: 1 Mar 89 03:02:38 GMT
References: <436@orange19.qtp.ufl.edu>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Calif. Language Lab
Lines: 32

> > The '77 standard tells me that "The set of input/output error
> > conditions is processor dependent." That seems to give someone the
> > leeway to *not* handle end-of-files with ERR= if no END= is present,
> > and (of course) I have a case in which this occurs (SunOS 3.4 f77).
> > 
> > Can anyone tell me if this "hole" was intentional, or an oversight?
> > If it was intentional, what is the logic?  It seems rather inane to
> > have to put in "END=8800, ERR=8800" into every READ statement.

> There is _no_, repeat _no_, leeway in this matter.  I refer you to Section
>   ...
> In other words, if you don't have a STATUS= nor an END=, an end-of-file
> condition is _not_ handled by the ERR=; the program terminates.  Any
> implementation that takes the ERR= branch in this situation is a
> non-conforming implementation.

> Bill Leonard, Member X3J3

You know, I really hate to agree with Bill Leonard (we have so much fun
disagreeing), but it looks like his interpretation is pretty clear - though
it's difficult to absolutely swear that anything you did in the presence of 
an ERR= specifier is wrong, given the very strong processor-dependence clause 
in 12.6.  

At this point, I'd be more interested in asking if the net feels that the 
behavior Jerry expects (or desires) may well constitute the dreaded
(in standards circles, anyway) COMMON PRACTICE (echo on...).  I know of
several implementations that do as Jerry asks - maybe they are the majority.
Anyone want to try out their vendor's libraries and post the results?  The
next public review of Fortran 8x will probably start this fall, maybe we
could get it changed.
						- Carl Burch