Variable Format Expression <expr>

[Tom Browder]

On Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Steve Kargl
<sgk@troutmask.apl.washington.edu> wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 07:38:25AM -0600, Tom Browder wrote:
>> The Portland Fortran compiler recognizes a variable format expression.
>>  Is there any way to do such a thing with gfortran?
...
> If you formats of the form '(<n>I4.0)', then the answer is no.
> You can use a standard conforming internal write to construct
> the format.

I found an old reference to a proposed addition to the Fortran
standard for such a capability, but I can't find the rationale for not
accepting it (it is available with many commercial compilers including
IBM, Intel, Portland, and HP).  It was W5-N1241 (J3/97-109) proposed
by Craig Dedo.  Can anyone here help?

Thanks.

-Tom