Field descriptors and edit descriptors in a format specification are generally separated by commas, but you can also use the slash (/) record terminator to separate these descriptors.
A slash terminates input or output of the current record and initiates a new record; for example:
WRITE (6,40) K,L,M,N,O,P 40 FORMAT (3I6.6/I6,2F8.4)
The preceding statements are equivalent to the following statements:
WRITE (6,40) K,L,M 40 FORMAT (3I6.6) WRITE (6,50) N,O,P 50 FORMAT (I6,2F8.4)
Multiple slashes cause the system to bypass input records or output blank records. If n consecutive slashes appear between two field or edit descriptors, (n-1) records are skipped on input, or (n-1) blank records are output. The first slash terminates the current record. The second slash terminates the first skipped or blank record, and so on.
However, n slashes at the beginning or end of a format specification result in n skipped or blank records. This is because the opening and closing parentheses of the format specification are themselves a record initiator and terminator, respectively; for example:
WRITE (6,99) 99 FORMAT ('1',T51,'HEADING LINE'//T51,'SUBHEADING LINE'//)
The previous statements produce the following output:
Column 50, top of page | |
| | |
HEADING LINE | |
(blank line) | |
SUBHEADING LINE | |
(blank line) | |
(blank line) |