/sys$common/syshlp/helplib.hlb FORTRAN, Format Specifiers, E  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

  Ew.d[Ee] (Exponential Editing)

  On input, performs the same as F format.

  On output, E transfers the value of the corresponding I/O list
  element, rounded to "d" decimal digits and right-justified to an
  external field "w" characters long.  "d" specifies the size of the
  fraction and "e" specifies the size of the exponent.  If the value
  does not fill the field, leading spaces are inserted; if the value
  is too large for the field, the entire field is filled with
  asterisks.

  The term "w" must be large enough to include all the following:  a
  minus sign (when necessary) or a plus sign (if SP editing is in
  effect), a zero, a decimal point, "d" digits, and an exponent.

  Therefore, to accommodate all possible components of the standard
  form, the term "w" must be greater than or equal to "d"+7; if "e"
  is present, "w" must be greater than or equal to "d"+"e"+5.

  However, "w" can be as small as "d"+5 or "d"+"e"+3 and still allow
  formatting of the value without error, if optional fields are
  omitted.  In this case, the sign is omitted (if the value is
  positive and SP editing is not in effect) and the zero to the left
  of the decimal point is also omitted, if necessary.