Variable Format Expression <expr>

[Tobias Burnus]

Tom Browder wrote:
>> 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?
>   
I think around 1996/1997 it was actively considered, see also e.g.
http://www.j3-fortran.org/doc/year/96/96-083.txt

At
http://coding.derkeiler.com/Archive/Fortran/comp.lang.fortran/2006-02/msg00880.html,
David Frank writes: "certain influential powers on the J3 committee
refuse to allow this extension be adopted".

I think it is unlike to get adopted in the ISO Fortran standard
(currently no one seems to push of it), but only the future will tell. I
won't rule out that it will be implemented in gfortran as extension at
some point, but it is currently not on the agenda. (Current projects are
rather to finish Fortran 2003, fix bugs, improve performance, improve
diagnostics. Plus some extra items on the lengthy wish list.)

Tobias