J3/99-266

Date:    30th November 1999
To:      J3
From:    Malcolm Cohen
Subject: Interpretation request on definition status

NUMBER: 81
TITLE:  Definition status of derived-type objects with pointer components
KEYWORDS: Definition status, Derived type, Pointer component
DEFECT TYPE:
STATUS: J3 consideration in progress
QUESTION:

Consider:
	TYPE t
	  REAL,POINTER :: x
	END TYPE
	TYPE(t) var1,var2
	NULLIFY(var1%x)
	var2 = var1     ! Unfortunate.

According to 14.7.1,
  "An object is defined if and only if all of its subobjects are defined."

from which I conclude that the program fragment above is not conforming.

Should the definition status of an object contain pointer components not depend
on the pointer association status of its pointer components and not their
definition status?

ANSWER:

Yes.  Edits are supplied to clarify this situation.

EDITS:

[288:17] Insert "nonpointer" before "subobjects".
	 Before "."
	 insert "and all of its pointer subobjects have a pointer association
		 status of associated or disassociated".

[288:18] Insert "nonpointer" before "subobjects".

[288:19] After "undefined"
	 insert "or at least one of its pointer subobjects has a pointer
		 association status of undefined".

SUBMITTED BY: Malcolm Cohen
HISTORY: 99-266  m151  submitted