What is the meaning of COE & COK in Fortran?

  • Context: Fortran 
  • Thread starter Thread starter yabi
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Fortran
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the meaning of the terms COE and COK in a FORTRAN program from 1974. Participants explore whether these terms are standard commands or array variables, and they delve into the implications of array declarations in FORTRAN, particularly regarding the use of DIMENSION statements and type declarations.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the meaning of COE and COK, questioning if they are standard FORTRAN commands.
  • Another participant clarifies that COE and COK are likely array variables, suggesting that they should be declared in a DIMENSION statement elsewhere in the program.
  • A participant expresses uncertainty about the necessity of a DIMENSION statement for array declarations, prompting further discussion on the topic.
  • Some participants assert that in older FORTRAN versions, a DIMENSION statement was typically required for array declarations, while others argue that arrays can exist without explicit dimensioning.
  • There is a discussion about the implications of type declarations in FORTRAN, with participants noting that arrays cannot benefit from implicit typing like scalar variables can.
  • Several participants provide examples and counterexamples regarding the necessity of type declarations and DIMENSION statements, leading to further questions about the rules in different FORTRAN versions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether a DIMENSION statement is mandatory for declaring arrays in FORTRAN. There are competing views on the necessity of type declarations and the behavior of arrays in different versions of FORTRAN.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the potential variation in FORTRAN standards across different versions, as well as the reliance on specific compiler behaviors that may not be universally applicable.

yabi
Messages
23
Reaction score
1
In an old (1974) FORTRAN program, I have following two lines

IF(FX.GT.COE(KOP,1)) GOTO 1

F=X*COK(KOP,1)

I can't understand the meaning of COE and COK commands.
Are they standard FORTRAN commands?

PS) If you could kindly guide me to a site whee I can find list of fortran commands, I will be very happy to have it.

BR
Khoshravan
 
Technology news on Phys.org
COE and COK are the names of two array variables.

If you check elsewhere in the program, you should find them declared in a DIMENSION statement, giving the number of rows and columns in each array.

Inside the parentheses, KOP and 1 reference a specific location in each array.
 
Dear SteamKing

Thanks for your reply.
You are correct. I am absolutely absent minded regarding this foolish question.
 
A dimension statement is not a must to declare an array; so, don't count on that, simply look for the variable name somewhere else...a simple search or a grep from the command line would do.
 
In a FORTRAN program from 1974, I'm pretty sure a DIMENSION statement is lurking somewhere in the program. FORTRAN IV or FORTRAN 66 was pretty particular about declaring array variables.
 
Really?
I never have seen an array without dimension statement in the beginning.
Could you please explain in detail how it could be possible to have arrays without using dimension statement?
 
Code:
program nodim
integer a(2,2)
a = 0
a(1,1) = 4
a(2,2) = 8
write(*,*) a
end program nodim
 
Is the command integer a(2,2) compulsary?
If yes, then it is sort of substitute for Dimension command!
 
The references a(1,1) and a(2,2) are setting one particular value within the array to the indicated constants. These references are not substitutes for a DIMENSION statement.
 
  • #10
yabi said:
Is the command integer a(2,2) compulsary?
If yes, then it is sort of substitute for Dimension command!

There are (at least) two ways to declare 'a' as a 2x2 array of integers:

integer a
dimension a(2,2)

which "declares as integer" and "declares as array" in separate statements; and

integer a(2,2)

which combines the two declarations.
 
  • #11
I am not talking about

a(1,1) = 4
a(2,2) = 8

But this one:
integer a(2,2)

Will your program working without integer command?
 
  • #12
If you don't declare the 'a' as integer, the compiler will assume it's real (floating point), according to Fortran's default rule for implicit data types: names beginning with 'i' through 'n' are integer, others are real.
 
  • #13
No, it will not work without a type declaration, must be declared something...character, integer or real; implicit typing does not with arrays.
 
  • #14
The exact rules probably depend on which version of Fortran is being used. My own experience is mainly with Fortran 77, and I'm pretty sure that the default typing rules apply to arrays in that version.

In 1974, of course Fortran 77 hadn't been officially established yet, but some compilers had "extensions" from Fortran 66 which allowed some features that were taken into Fortran 77.
 
  • #15
Dear jtbell

Thanks for your comments.
So Integer will do what dimension do and without integer and dimension it is impossible to declare and array.
I hope gsal also reads this comment.
 
  • #16
gsal said:
No, it will not work without a type declaration, must be declared something...character, integer or real; implicit typing does not with arrays.

yabi said:
Dear jtbell

Thanks for your comments.
So Integer will do what dimension do and without integer and dimension it is impossible to declare and array.
I hope gsal also reads this comment.

I don't think you understood what gsal wrote, which was that you need to declare the type of the array.
 
  • #17
jtbell said:
The exact rules probably depend on which version of Fortran is being used. My own experience is mainly with Fortran 77, and I'm pretty sure that the default typing rules apply to arrays in that version.

In 1974, of course Fortran 77 hadn't been officially established yet, but some compilers had "extensions" from Fortran 66 which allowed some features that were taken into Fortran 77.

What I meant to say about "something" not applying to arrays was that arrays cannot benefit from implicit typing the way scalars do.

For example, while typing a fortran program and needing a new scalar in the middle of it, I can simply start using it right there and then without having to go back to the top and declare such variable; and, yes, if the name of the scalar variable starts with any of the letters from I to N, it will be an integer variable...I-Nteger, get it?

BUT, if I need an array variable in the middle of the program, I DO NEED to go back and do some kind of declaration, either a type declaration or a dimension declaration. If I start using an array variable without declaring, the compiler immediately complains about "Unexpected array reference".

Should you have any other questions...please ask the compiler :biggrin:
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
6K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K