To: J3                                                     J3/18-124r1
From: Gary Klimowicz
Subject: Increase maximum line length
Date: 2018-February-15

Reference: 18-007

Fortran programs are now sometimes being generated by other
programs, and not just by Fortran programmers.  We would like to
increase the free form line length to accommodate such program
generation.

The proposal is to increase the line length beyond 132
characters. 4096 characters is proposed, but we aren't committed
to that number.

Discussion on this proposal during plenary suggested that would
should leave the line length unchanged, but change the number of
continuation lines to something larger than 255.

6.3.2.1 (Free form line length) says:
"If a line consists entirely of characters of default kind
(7.4.4), it may contain at most 132 characters."

6.3.2.6 (Free form statements) paragraph 2 says:
"A statement shall not have more than 255 continuation lines."