Hollerith Constants in Argument Lists

• Microsoft FORTRAN PowerStation for MS-DOS, version 1.0 and 1.0a
• Microsoft FORTRAN PowerStation for Windows NT, version 1.0 and 4.0

SUMMARY

The use of Hollerith constants outside of a FORMAT specifier is not part of the FORTRAN 77 specification. Any use of Hollerith constants in an argument list is undocumented and unsupported. Using Hollerith can cause the following compiler and linker errors:

   F2202: defined with different number of arguments
   F2608: Hollerith illegal with CHARACTER
   F2624: too few actual arguments
   LNK4016: unresolved external symbol

MORE INFORMATION

When Hollerith constants are used in the argument list of a function or subroutine call, the size of the string is not passed. To the compiler, this looks like references to a function or subroutine with one of the arguments missing. To the linker, this looks like a reference to a different function or subroutine.

To generate the F2202 error, combine B.FOR and D.FOR into one file and compile it:

   copy b.for+d.for test.for
   fl32 /c test.for

   copy a.for+b.for test.for
   fl32 /c test.for

   fl32 a.for b.for d.for

   fl32 a.for b.for c.for d.for

Executing A.EXE produces:

   Test Quoted: Big Test
   Test Hollerith: Big Test

Sample Code A.FOR

       call test('Big Test')
       call test_hollerith()
       end

Sample Code B.FOR

       subroutine test_hollerith()
       call test(8HBig Test)
       end

Sample Code C.FOR

       subroutine test(x)
       real*8 x
       write(*,"(' Test Hollerith: ',A8)") x
       end

Sample Code D.FOR

       subroutine test(c)
       character*8 c
       write(*,"(' Test Quoted: ',A8)") c
       end