[comp.os.vms] Fortran and filenames

KFL@AI.AI.MIT.EDU.UUCP (06/04/87)

I created a file on several tapes (a big file) with the DUMP command.  I
didn't care what the file was called so I just did /OUT=MUA1:.  Later,
I needed to read the file from a Fortran program.  I discovered it was
named ".DMP". But when I tried to open "MUA1:.DMP" the program attempted
to open "MUA1:FOR001.DMP".  It wouldn't let me open "MUA1:" or "MUA1:*.*"
or anything like that.

I tried both naming it in my OPEN statement and ASSIGNING aor DEFNINING
FOR001 (the logical name for Fortran unit 1) as "MUA1:.DMP".  But it
kept trying to open "MUA1:FOR001.DMP".

This is very frustrating, when there is a perfectly good file and
Fortran won't let me read it.

I did find a workaround.  The file can be opened with the DCL OPEN
command, and then read by a program with no OPEN statement.  But
this is a kludge.  How can I open "MUA1:.DMP" or "MUA1:<don't-care>"
from a Fortran program under VMS?

Should we SPR this?
								...Keith

ken@HAMLET.CALTECH.EDU (Kenneth Adelman) (06/05/87)

I tried both naming it in my OPEN statement and ASSIGNING aor DEFNINING
FOR001 (the logical name for Fortran unit 1) as "MUA1:.DMP".  But it
kept trying to open "MUA1:FOR001.DMP".

    The problem is that the Fortran OPEN specifies a default file
name of 'FOR001.DAT' to RMS and any fields not specified in the FILE
keyword default from this. You can change the default with the
DEFAULTFILE keyword:

    open(unit=1,file='mua1:.dmp',defaultfile=' ')

						Kenneth Adelman
						Caltech