The FILE specifier indicates the name of the file to be connected to the unit. It takes the following form:
The name can be any pathname allowed by the operating system.
Any trailing blanks in the name are ignored.
If FILE is omitted and the unit is not connected to a file, the OPEN statement must specify STATUS='SCRATCH'.
If the file name is stored in a numeric scalar or array, the name must consist of ASCII characters terminated by an ASCII null character (zero byte). However, if it is stored in a character scalar or array, it must not contain a zero byte.
If the filename is 'USER' or 'CON', input and output are directed to the console. For a complete list of device names, see Physical Devices.
In a QuickWin application, you can specify FILE='USER' to open a child window. All subsequent I/O statements directed to that unit appear in the child window.
The name can be blank (FILE=' ') if the compatibility compiler option /fpscomp:filesfromcmd is specified. If the name is blank, the following occurs:
Assume the following command line started the program MYPROG (note that quotation marks (") are used):
myprog first.fil " " third.txt
MYPROG contains four OPEN statements with blank filenames, in the following order:
OPEN (2, FILE = ' ')
OPEN (4, FILE = ' ')
OPEN (5, FILE = ' ')
OPEN (10, FILE = ' ')
Unit 2 is associated with the file FIRST.FIL. Because a blank argument was specified on the command line for the second filename, the OPEN statement for unit 4 produces the following prompt:
Filename missing or blank -
Please enter name UNIT 4?
Unit 5 is associated with the file THIRD.TXT. Because no fourth file was specified on the command line, the OPEN statement for unit 10 produces the following prompt:
Filename missing or blank -
Please enter name UNIT 10?
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