J3/03-261

Date:    October 21, 2003
To:      J3
From:    Rob James
Subject: The left tab limit and child data transfer statements

At [203:2-4] of the Fortran 2003 FCD, it says:
A record positioning edit descriptor, such as TL and TR, used on unit
by a child data transfer statement shall not cause the record position
to be positioned before the record position at the time the
user-defined derived-type input/output procedure was invoked.

It is unclear how the situation described could arise.  Given the
definition of the left tab limit in 10.7.1.1, at the point that a
child data transfer statement begins execution, the left tab limit
would be set to the current file position.  And given the definitions
of T, TL, and TR (also in 10.7.1.1), you can't go farther left than
the left tab limit.

It appears from the statement at [203:2-4] that the intent was that
the left tab limit should not be set to the current file position when
a child data transfer statement begins execution.


Proposed edits to the Fortran 2003 FCD:
---------------------------------------

[235:32] Change "Immediately" to "Except in a child data transfer,
         immediately".