To:         J3 Members                                       J3/16-265
From:       Van Snyder
Subject:    WAIT for nonexistent unit
References: 16-007r2
Date: 2016 September 28

1. Discussion
-------------

A WAIT operation is allowed for a nonexistent unit.  It makes sense that
CLOSE and INQUIRE are allowed for them, but WAIT seems like nonsense.
The only plausible reason to allow it is that a close operation performs
a wait operation, without testing whether the unit is connected to a
file with a connection that allows asynchronous I/O.

2. Edits
--------

[xviii Introduction under Input/output] Insert an item "A close
operation only performs a wait operation if the unit exists and is
connected for asynchronous input/output."  {This doesn't affect any
existing program}.

[225:13-14 12.5.3p2] Set "and WAIT" in obsolescent font.  {Deleting this
might affect existing programs.}

[225:20 12.5.4p2] Set "or WAIT" in obsolescent font.  {Deleting this
might affect existing programs.}

[230:28,31 12.5.7.1p3,4] Replace "Execution" with "If the specified unit
exists and is connected for asynchronous input/output, execution".  Then
move the sentence (the entirety of p3) to the end of p4.  {This doesn't
affect any existing program}.

[251:5 12.7.2p4] Set "does not exist" in obsolescent font.  {Deleting
this might affect existing programs.}