Unresolved Issue 360

To:	J3

From:	Craig Dedo

Date:	May 13, 2002

Subject:	Unresolved issue 360

Introduction

Unresolved Issue 360

On reading the result, I'm still not convinced that these words unambiguously address the recurring question of whether it is legal to end a line with a semicolon. In spite of the change to consistently use the term "termination", we still have the claim that the semicolon "allows" another statement to begin on the same line. That "allows" is vague as to exactly what situations do and do not start a new statement. It is possible to interpret this as meaning that a new statement does start (and then is an invalid empty statement). Perhaps if we just plain say it instead of letting it be deduced, things would be simpler.

The use of the terms "also" and "optional" are also confusing. Does "also" mean "alternatively" here, or does it mean that the statement is simultaneously terminated by two different things (whatever that would mean). I think it means "alternatively". The "optional" is confusing in that the semicolon is certainly not optional if there are two statements on the same line.

In addition to the editor's comments, it still seems that a terminator with more than one semicolon has to begin only with semicolons, and then it can have some blanks.

Edits

29:4-8	Replace the paragraph with the following:

A statement may alternatively be terminated by a ";" character that appears other than in a character context or in a comment. The ";" is not part of the statement. After a ";" terminator, another statement may appear on the same line, or begin on that line and be continued. A ";" shall not appear as the first nonblank character on a line. A sequence consisting only of zero or more blanks and one or more ";" terminators, in any order, is equivalent to a single ";" terminator.

29:8+	[Editor: Delete unresolved issue note 360.]

30:9-13	Replace the paragraph with the following:

A statement may alternatively be terminated by a character that appears other than in a character context, n a comment, or in character position 6. The ";" is not part of the statement. After a ";" terminator, another statement may begin on the same line, or begin on that line and be continued. A ";" shall not appear as the first nonblank character on a line, except in character position 6. A sequence consisting only of zero or more blanks and one or more ";" terminators, in any order, is equivalent to a single ";" terminator.

References

02-007r1, Fortran 2000 Draft

[End of J3 / 02-170r1]