Named Scratch Files

by Craig T. Dedo

November 12, 1996

1.	Rationale

Currently, the Fortran standard does not allow the user to name scratch files. Not allowing the user to name scratch files is an unnecessary irregularity. This feature would allow the programmer to look at a scratch file's contents during execution. A named scratch file would be the only kind of named file which would be automatically deleted when the file is closed or execution terminates.

If the processor does not delete scratch files if the program crashes, this feature would allow the programmer to do some post-mortem analysis.

2.	Technical Specification

This proposal would require a Fortran processor to allow the user to name files opened with the keyword STATUS="SCRATCH". Since previous practice did not allow the use of file names with scratch files, the programmer would still be allowed to open a scratch file without specifying a file name.

If a scratch file is opened with the name of a file that is already open, the processor should take the same action which it would take in the same circumstances with a non-scratch file.

If the program crashes during execution, the existence of the scratch file after the crash is processor- dependent.

3.	Proposed Edits to be Operated on Later

These edits are preliminary and are provided primarily as a basis for discussion. These edits are with respect to the Fortran 95 Committee Draft, X3J3 / 96-007r1.

[140:35-36] Change the text to read:

"If the STATUS= specifier has the value of SCRATCH, the FILE= specifier may be either present or absent."

[141:18-19] Delete Note 9.14.

4.	References

ISO/IEC 1539-1:1991(E) International Standard Programming Language Fortran 90, 9.3.4

X3J3 / 96-004, X3J3 Journal of Requirements (JOR), Item 120

[End of 96-169]