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

  You can apply the field descriptors I, O, Z, F, E, D, G, L, and A
  to a number of successive data fields by preceding the field
  descriptor with an unsigned integer constant (PARAMETER constants
  are not allowed) specifying the number of repetitions.  This
  constant is called a repeat count.

  For example, the following two statements are equivalent:

    20 FORMAT (E12.4,E12.4,E12.4,I5,I5,I5,I5)
    20 FORMAT (3E12.4,4I5)

  Similarly, you can apply a group of field descriptors repeatedly to
  data fields by enclosing these field descriptors in parentheses and
  preceding them with an unsigned integer constant.  The integer
  constant is called a group repeat count.  For example, the
  following two statements are equivalent:

    50 FORMAT (I8,I8,F8.3,E15.7,F8.3,E15.7,F8.3,E15.7,I5,I5)
    50 FORMAT (2I8,3(F8.3,E15.7),2(I5))

  An H or Q field descriptor, which could not otherwise be repeated,
  can be enclosed in parentheses and treated as a group repeat
  specification.