PARAMETER statement

[Tobias Schlüter]

On 2010-01-13 14:56, N.M. Maclaren wrote:
> On Jan 13 2010, Tobias Schlüter wrote:
>>
>> I'm surprised, the vax compiler would accept this, because this can
>> create programs that must be interpreted differently from what the
>> standard requires, e.g.
>>
>> function f
>> parameter isize = 5
>> f = parameterisize ! valid by the standard, undefined on vax
>> end
>
> In Fortran 77, symbolic names could be only 6 characters long; I think
> that VAX Fortran extended that to 8, but the above would still not be
> legal. So it's unambiguous :-)
>
> I have a course (which I have never given, due to lack of interest!)
> that mentions that specific construction, and how to convert it. As
> well as doing the same for an incredible amount of historic rubbish.

Thank deity that (standard) Fortran didn't go the route of making the 
length of identifiers a factor in determining whether they have keywords 
embedded! :)

I thought about the 6 character restriction, but figured that the 
example still highlights how this extension breaks Fortran's syntax 
badly enough to make supporting it undesirable, and therefore deemed it 
worth showing.  Thanks for pointing out the gap in my argument, though.

Cheers,
- Tobi