PRB: F2414: Initializing Substrings in DATA Statements

• Microsoft FORTRAN for MS-DOS, versions 4.0, 4.01, 4.1, 5.0, and 5.1
• Microsoft FORTRAN for OS/2, versions 4.1, 5.0, 5.1
• Microsoft FORTRAN PowerStation for MS-DOS, versions 1.0 and 1.0a
• Microsoft FORTRAN PowerStation 32 for Windows NT, version 1.0

SYMPTOMS

Using Microsoft FORTRAN to compile a program that attempts to initialize substrings using an implied-DO list in a DATA statement may result in the following error messages:

   error F2414: (string name) : DATA : not array-element name
   warning F4400: DATA : more constants than names

CAUSE

This is not a problem with the compiler. The ANSI 77 Standard prohibits the use of implied-DO loops in DATA statements for anything but arrays. Character substrings are not considered arrays.

RESOLUTION

Possible solutions to suppress the F2414 and F4400 error messages are:

1. Initializing the list of substring array elements individually instead of using an implied-DO list in the DATA statement.

2. Initializing the whole string variable instead of a substring when using an implied-DO list in the DATA statement.

3. Initializing substring array elements individually with assignment statements.

MORE INFORMATION

The following program produces the F2414 and F4400 error messages:

       character*2 a(2)
       data (a(i)(2:2),i=1,2)  /'1','2'/
       write(*,*) a(1)
       end

1. Initializing the list of substring array elements individually in the DATA statement.

         character*2 a(2)
         data a(1)(2:2), a(2)(2:2)  /'1','2'/
         write(*,*) a(1)
         end
   

2. Initializing the whole string variable in the DATA statement.

         character*2 a(2)
         data (a(i),i=1,2)  /' 1',' 2'/
         write(*,*) a(1)
         end
   

3. Initializing substring array elements individually with assignment statements.

         character*2 a(2)
         a(1)(2:2) = '1'
         a(2)(2:2) = '2'
         write(*,*) a(1)
         end