To:         J3                                               J3/14-194
From:       Van Snyder
Subject:    Assignment to specifier variables
Date: 2014 June 18
References: 14-007r1, 14-125r1, 14-166

1. Introduction
===============

The final sentence of 9.10.1p1 says "All specifier value assignments are
performed according to the rules for assignment statements."

The reason for this is probably so that specifiers that require
character variables get values assigned that are left adjusted, and
either truncated or blank padded, as for intrinsic assignment.

Firstly, the statement ought to be "as if by intrinsic assignment," or
perhaps "as if by an intrinsic assignment statement" or "according to
the rules for intrinsic assignment."

A broader problem is that we now have more statements that assign a
value to a character variable corresponding to a specifier: The ERMSG or
IOMSG specifier.

Therefore, the same requirement as in the final sentence of 9.10.1p1,
amended to specify "as if by intrinsic assignment," needs to apply to
all statements that assign a value to a character variable associated
with a specifier.  Although for ones that require integer or logical
variables, there isn't really a possibility of confusion, it wouldn't
hurt to specify the requirement for all assignments to variables
associated with specifiers.

2. Edits
========

[156:6+ 7.2.1.2p3+] Insert a paragraph:

  "All assignments to variables corresponding to statement specifiers
  are performed as if by intrinsic assignment."

[234:6-7 9.1.1p1] Delete the final sentence "All specifier ...
statements."

{[234:6-7] is the only place that says anything like this for statement
specifiers.}

3. Alternative Edits
====================

[130:30+ 6.7.1.2p8+] Insert a paragraph:

  "All assignments to variables corresponding to statement specifiers
  are performed as if by intrinsic assignment."

[132:17+ 6.7.3.1p2+] Insert a paragraph:

  "All assignments to variables corresponding to statement specifiers
  are performed as if by intrinsic assignment."

[194:24+ 8.5.6p5+] Insert a paragraph:

  "All assignments to variables corresponding to statement specifiers
  are performed as if by intrinsic assignment."

[196:8+ 8.5.7p5+] Insert a paragraph:

  "All assignments to variables corresponding to statement specifiers
  are performed as if by intrinsic assignment."

[234:6-7 9.10.1p1] Replace the final sentence "All specifier ...
statements" with "All assignments to variables corresponding to
statement specifiers are performed as if by intrinsic assignment".

[242:14 9.11.5p1] After "defined" insert ", as if by intrinsic
assignment,"

[242:27 9.11.6p1] After "assign" insert ", as if by intrinsic
assignment,"

4. Alternative Alternative Edits
================================

[234:6-7 9.1.1p1] Delete the final sentence "All specifier ...
statements."

{[234:6-7] is the only place that says anything like this for statement
specifiers.}