Glossary F

field
Can be either of the following:
field descriptor
See data edit descriptor.
field separator
The comma (,) or slash (/) that separates edit descriptors in a format specification.
field width
The total number of characters in the field. See also field, the first definition.
file
A collection of logically related records. If the file is in internal storage, it is an internal file; if the file is on an input/output device, it is an external file.
file access
The way records are accessed (and stored) in a file. The Fortran 95/90 file access modes are sequential and direct. On OpenVMS systems, you can also use a keyed mode of access.
file handle
On Tru64 UNIX, Linux, and Windows systems, a unique identifier that the system assigns to a file when the file is opened or created. A file handle is valid until the file is closed.
file organization
The way records in a file are physically arranged on a storage device. Fortran 95/90 files can have sequential or relative organization. On OpenVMS systems, files can also have indexed organization.
fixed-length record type
A file format in which all the records are the same length.
focus window
Window to which keyboard input is directed.
foreground process
On Tru64 UNIX and Linux systems, a process for which the command interpreter is waiting. Its process group is the same as that of its controlling terminal, so the process is allowed to read from or write to the terminal. Contrast with background process.
foreground window
The window with which the user is currently working. The system assigns a slightly higher priority to the thread that created the foreground window than it does to other threads.
foreign file
An unformatted file that contains data from a foreign platform, such as data from a CRAY, IBM, or big endian IEEE machine.
format
A specific arrangement of data. A FORMAT statement specifies how data is to be read or written.
format specification
The part of a FORMAT statement that specifies explicit data arrangement. It is a list within parentheses that can include edit descriptors and field separators. A character expression can also specify format; the expression must evaluate to a valid format specification.
formatted data
Data written to a file by using formatted I/O statements. Such data contains ASCII representations of binary values.
formatted I/O statement
An I/O statement specifying a format for data transfer. The format specified can be explicit (specified in a format specification) or implicit (specified using list-directed or namelist formatting). Contrast with unformatted I/O statement. See also list-directed I/O statement and namelist I/O statement.
frame window
The outermost parent window in QuickWin.
function
A series of statements that perform some operation and return a single value (through the function or result name) to the calling program unit. A function is invoked by a function reference in a main program unit or a subprogram unit.

In Fortran 95/90, a function can be used to define a new operator or extend the meaning of an intrinsic operator symbol. The function is invoked by the appearance of the new or extended operator in the expression (along with the appropriate operands). For example, the symbol * can be defined for logical operands, extending its intrinsic definition for numeric operands. See also function subprogram, statement function, and subroutine.
function reference
Used in an expression to invoke a function, it consists of the function name and its actual arguments. A function reference returns a value (through the function or result name) which is used to evaluate the calling expression.
function result
The result value associated with a particular execution or call to a function. This result can be of any data type (including derived type) and can be array-valued. In a FUNCTION statement, the RESULT option can be used to give the result a name different from the function name. This option is required for a recursive function that directly calls itself.
function subprogram
A sequence of statements beginning with a FUNCTION (or optional OPTIONS) statement that is not in an interface block and ending with the corresponding END statement. See also function.