J3/10-149

To: J3
Subject: Interpretation concerning the TARGET argument of ASSOCIATED
From: Van Snyder
Date: 2010 April 01

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NUMBER: F08/xxxx
TITLE: Is the TARGET argument of ASSOCIATED a pointer or nonpointer dummy
KEYWORDS: TARGET argument of ASSOCIATED
DEFECT TYPE: Erratum
STATUS: Under consideration

QUESTION:

Is the following conforming, and if so what does it print?

  program TARGET_Arg
    integer, pointer :: Pointer
    integer, pointer :: Target => NULL()
    integer, target :: AnotherTarget
    pointer => anotherTarget
    print *, Associated(pointer,target)
  end program TARGET_Arg

DISCUSSION:

Subclause 13.7 stipulates that descriptions of arguments of intrinsic
arguments apply to actual arguments.  This leaves open the question
whether the TARGET dummy argument of ASSOCIATED is a pointer or not.

If not a pointer, being optional, it is considered by subclause
12.5.2.12 to be absent if the corresponding actual argument is
disassociated.

Thereby, the result value of ASSOCIATED (by Case(i) of the result value
clause) is true.

If the TARGET dummy argument is a pointer, the result value of
ASSOCIATED (by Case (iv) of the result value clause) is false.

ANSWER:

It is intended that the program in the question is conforming and prints
F.

Edits are provided to clarify this.

EDITS:

Change the description of the interface to state explicitly that the
TARGET dummy argument has the POINTER and INTENT(IN) attributes.  A
nonpointer actual argument is now permitted by 12.5.2.7p2 to correspond
to an INTENT(IN) pointer dummy argument, whereupon the dummy argument
becomes pointer associated with the actual argument.  The result is
that a disassociated TARGET actual argument cannot be considered to be
absent.

[13.7.1p2]
Before the third sentence, the one beginning "The result
characteristics...," insert a sentence "Where explicitly stated,
additional specifications apply to the dummy arguments."

[13.7.16p3]
At the end of the description of the TARGET argument, add the sentence
"The dummy argument TARGET has the POINTER and INTENT(IN) attributes."

ALTERNATIVE EDITS:

Change the subclause title for 13.7.16 from "ASSOCIATED ( POINTER [,
TARGET ] )" to "ASSOCIATED ( POINTER ) or ASSOCIATED ( POINTER, TARGET
)"

[13.7.16p3] Remove "(optional)" from the description of the TARGET dummy
argument.

[13.7.16p5(i)] Replace "is absent" by "does not appear".

[13.7.16p5(ii-vii)] Replace "is present" by "appears" six times.

SUBMITTED BY: Van Snyder

HISTORY:

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