Named Scratch Files - Proposed Response to WG5

To:	J3

From:	Craig Dedo

Date:	August 20, 2001

Subject:	Named Scratch Files - Proposed Response to WG5

Issue

In paper WG5/N1454, WG5 proposes:

2. At [174:18] it is not specified what happens if STATUS="SCRATCH" and FILE=... are both specified, and the specified file exists. Because of this problem, and the fact that the desired functionality can be provided with named files, WG5 prefers that the named scratch file facility be deleted.

Analysis

There is no problem. It is not specified at [174:18] what happens in this case because it is already specified at [171:7-8], immediately prior to rule R904:

"If an existing file is not connected, execution of an OPEN statement that connects that file with a STATUS of SCRATCH is not permitted."

A rationale for the feature that is still valid is that library packages can create named scratch files that are deleted on normal termination, but the processor could retain them on abnormal termination.

Edits

No edits are necessary.

References

01-007r2, Fortran 2000 Draft

01-299, Sj Response to a WG5 comment (named scratch files)

WG5/N1454, Comments arising from subgroup review of Section 9

97-162r2, Named Scratch Files

97-193r1, Edits - Named Scratch Files

[End of J3 / 01-316r1]