[net.unix-wizards] Advice Needed on f77

bruss (09/27/82)

I am in the process of converting Fortran-4-plus (f4+) programs
to Fortan-77 (f77).  I have run into a problem with the logical*1-to-
character*1 aspect of the conversion and was hoping somebody might
have some suggestions.

The problem arises from the f4+ programs' use of logical*1 to store
character strings.  This in itself is no problem, nor would it be
a problem to simply redeclare all 'logical*1' structures as
'character*1' structures.  BUT, essential to the f4+ programs operation
is the EQUIVALENCE-ing of these logical*1 'strings' with portions
(i.e. partial equivalencing) of a large integer*2 array.  This
large integer*2 array stores a logical record with many components,
some of which are integer, some which are real, and some which are
character strings.

f77 doens't permit one to equivalence character data types with
any other data type; accordingly it won't be possible for me
to simply redeclare the equivalenced logical*1 structures
as character*1.  Does anyone have any easy solution to this
conversion problem (i.e. is there some 1-byte-long data type
sitting around that isnt' documented, or is there some
other trick I can use) ???

By the way, my work is being done on a VAX running Berkeley Unix
version 4.1.