Character Declarations

Character variables can be declared in a similar way to numeric types using a CHARACTER statement. CHARACTER variables can

• refer to one character;
• refer to a string of characters which is achieved by adding a length specifier to the object declaration.

A simplified syntax follows,

 
   type   [(LEN=   length-spec   )] [,
   attribute-list   ] [:: ]
   variable-list    [ =   value    ]

If  attribute-list or =  value are present then so must be ::.

The following are all valid declarations,

    CHARACTER(LEN=10)  :: name
    CHARACTER          :: sex
    CHARACTER(LEN=32)  :: str

In the same way as the DIMENSION attribute was overridden in the example of Section 1.7.4 so can the string length declaration (specified by LEN=); this is achieved using the * notation. If a DIMENSION specifier is present it can also be overridden. The length specifier must come after the dimension if both are being overridden.

    CHARACTER(LEN=10) :: name, sex*1, str*32
    CHARACTER(LEN=10), DIMENSION(10,10) :: tom(10)*2, dick, harry(10,10,10)*20
    CHARACTER, POINTER :: P2ch

The first line is exactly the same as the previous declaration.

There is a substantial difference between a character variable of 10 characters (CHARACTER(LEN=10) or CHARACTER*10) and an array of 10 elements; the first is scalar and the second is non-scalar.

Other attributes can be added in the same way as for numeric types (see Section 1.7.4).