J3/04-126 Date: 13 Dec. 2003 To: J3 From: Dan Nagle Subject: INITIAL Procedures Initial procedures were considered for Fortran 2003, but were dropped so that J3 could pursue other features. I propose that initial procedures be part of the next standard. Number: Title: INITIAL Procedures Submitted By: J3 Status: For Consideration References: J3/97-256 Basic Functionality: An initial procedure s a type bound procedure that executes automatically when a variable of that type comes into existance. Rationale: When an object of derived type appears, it may need some initial values, such as having components allocated, or having pointers set so it fits into a linked list, b-tree, or other data organization. Initial procedures constitute a scheme for doing so. Estimated Impact: The impact of initial procedures may be substantial, but compilers already implement initial procedures (often called "constructors") in many other languages, so techniques for doing so must be well known. Detailed Specification: Paper J3/97-256 is the most recent specification I can find in the J3 archive. I do not know that it's specifications are up-to-date for the current Fortran 2003, but I will not attempt to improve upon them. History: