# Fortran Wiki Edit descriptors

## Overview

Conventions:

w
the number of characters to use
m
the minimum number of characters to be used
d
the number of digits to the right of the decimal point
e
the number of digits in the exponent
Data Type Edit Descriptors
integer Iw Iw.m
real Decimal form Fw.d
Exponential form Ew.d Ew.dEe
Scientific form ESw.d ESw.dEe
Engineering form ENw.d ENw.dEe
logical Lw
character A Aw
Positioning Horizontal nX
Tabbing Tc TLc, TRc
Vertical /
Others Grouping r(....)
Format Scanning Control :
Sign Control S, SP, SS
Blank Control BN, BZ
Fortran edit descriptors

## Integer Editing

Integer values may be formatted using the i edit descriptor which has two forms: ‘iw’ and ‘iw.m’. In the first form, w specifies the width and in the second, m specifies the minimum number of digits to output. For example, the integer 37 printed using the edit descriptor ‘i5’ will appear as bbb37 and when printed using i5.3 it will appear as bb037 (where b denotes a blank).

## Real Editing

The F, E, EN, ES, D, and G edit descriptors are used for editing real and complex items, with two such descriptors being required for each complex item. For input, all of the six descriptors are equivalent. For output, the E, EN, and ES descriptors produce both decimal and exponent parts. They differ in the number of digits written to the left of the decimal with E writing none, ES (scientific) writes one, and EN (engineering) writing one to three, such that the exponent is divisible by three. The F descriptor, on the other hand, writes a fixed number of digits without an exponent field. D is interchangeable with E. G will automatically choose between F and E.

## Minimal field width editing

In Fortran 95 and later, the I, F, B, O, and Z edit descriptors may be specified with a width of zero in order to use as little space as possible. This will prevent leading blank space before numbers, but it will also protect against overflow caused by a field width that is too narrow (which normally results in a string of asterisks being printed).