FIX: Bad Data Files When Backslash Edit Sent to Screen (75763)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft FORTRAN Compiler for MS-DOS 5.1
  • Microsoft FORTRAN compiler for OS/2 5.1
This article was previously published under Q75763

SYMPTOMS

Programs compiled with FORTRAN version 5.1 running under MS-DOS, OS/2, or QuickWindows, may produce files in which records are not separated by carriage return-linefeeds. All data appears to be on the same line.

CAUSE

Using the backslash edit descriptor to suppress the carriage return- linefeed sent after output to the screen can corrupt list-directed file I/O. Specifically, carriage return-linefeeds are no longer be sent to data files if output is sent to them list-directed. This means that no delimiters will exist between records within the data files, and subsequently, they will not be read correctly. The sample code in the MORE INFORMATION section illustrates this problem.

RESOLUTION

To preserve the carriage return-linefeed characters written to files when using the backslash edit descriptor, a backslash must be sent to a file or the screen a second time.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft FORTRAN version 5.1 for MS-DOS and OS/2. This problem was corrected in FORTRAN PowerStation, version 1.0.

MORE INFORMATION

The following code reproduces the problem:

Sample Code

      open(2,file='test.dat')

      write(*,'(1x,a,\)')  'write to screen'

      write(2,*) 'first record'
      write(2,*) 'second record'
      end
The following data file is the output of the above program:

first record second record

The output file should contain carriage return-linefeeds between records, as illustrated below:

first record
second record

The following code sends the backslash to the NUL bin, so no extra file is created in the directory. This code preserves the carriage-return linefeed characters within data files. 
        open(2,file='test.dat')
        open(3,file='nul')       ! Open a file to write backslash
                                 ! to, NUL will not create a file.
        write(*,'(1x,a,\)') 'write to screen'
        write(3,'(a\)')          ! Write backslash a second time.

        write(2,*) 'first record'
        write(2,*) 'second record'
        end
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:10/23/2003
Keywords:kbfix KB75763
©2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.