VMS Help FORTRAN, Statements, Type declaration  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

  A type declaration can be specified only once and must precede all
  executable statements.  A type declaration cannot change the type
  of a symbolic name that has already been implicitly assumed to be
  another type.

  Type declarations must precede all executable statements, can be
  declared only once, and cannot be used to change the type of a
  symbolic name that has already been implicitly assumed to be
  another type.

  Type declaration statements can initialize data in the same way as
  the DATA statement:  by having values, bounded by slashes, listed
  immediately after the symbolic name of the entity.

1 - Numeric

  Format:

     type[*n] v [*n][/clist/][,v [*n][/clist/]]...

     type   Is any of the following data type specifiers:

            BYTE (equivalent to LOGICAL*1 and INTEGER*1)
            DOUBLE PRECISION
            LOGICAL
            INTEGER
            REAL
            COMPLEX
            DOUBLE COMPLEX

     n      Is an integer that specifies (in bytes) the length
            of "v".  It overrides the length that is implied by
            the data type.

            The value of n must specify an acceptable length
            for the type of "v" (see the "DEC Fortran
            Language Reference Manual"). BYTE, DOUBLE
            PRECISION, and DOUBLE COMPLEX data types have
            one acceptable length; thus, for these data types,
            the "n" specifier is invalid.

            If an array declarator is used, the "n" specifier
            must be positioned immediately after the array name.

     v      Is the symbolic name of a constant, variable,
            array, statement function or function
            subprogram, or array declarator.

     clist  Is a list of constants, as in a DATA statement.  If
            "v" is the symbolic name of a constant, the "clist"
            cannot be present.

  A numeric data type declaration statement can define arrays by
  including array declarators in the list.

  A numeric type declaration statement can assign initial values to
  variables or arrays if it specifies a list of constants (the
  "clist").  The specified constants initialize only the variable or
  array that immediately precedes them.  The "clist" cannot have more
  than one element unless it initializes an array.  When the "clist"
  initializes an array, it must contain a value for every element in
  the array.

2 - Character

  Format:

     CHARACTER[*len[,] v[*len] [/clist/] [,v[*len] [/clist/]]...

     len    Is an unsigned integer constant, an integer constant
            expression enclosed in parentheses, or an asterisk (*)
            enclosed in parentheses.  The value of "len" specifies
            the length of the character data elements.

     v      Is the symbolic name of a constant, variable, array,
            statement function or function subprogram, or array
            declarator.  The name can optionally be followed by
            a data type length specifier (*len or *(*)).

     clist  Is a list of constants, as in a DATA statement.  If
            "v" is the symbolic name of a constant, "clist" must
            not be present.

  If you use CHARACTER*len, "len" is the default length specification
  for that list.  If an item in that list does not have a length
  specification, the item's length is "len".  However, if an item
  does have a length specification, it overrides the default length
  specified in CHARACTER*len.

  When an asterisk length specification *(*) is used for a function
  name or dummy argument, it assumes the length of the corresponding
  function reference or actual argument.  Similarly, when an asterisk
  length specification is used for the symbolic name of a constant,
  the name assumes the length of the actual constant it represents.
  For example, STRING assumes a 9-byte length in the following
  statements:

     CHARACTER*(*) STRING
     PARAMETER (STRING = 'VALUE IS:')

  The length specification must range from 1 to 2**31-1 on RISC
  processors.  If no length is specified, a length of 1 is assumed.

  Character type declaration statements can define arrays if they
  include array declarators in their list.  The array declarator goes
  first if both an array declarator and a length are specified.

  A character type declaration statement can assign initial values to
  variables or arrays if it specifies a list of constants (the
  clist).  The specified constants initialize only the variable or
  array that immediately precedes them.  The "clist" cannot have more
  than one element unless it initializes an array.  When the "clist"
  initializes an array, it must contain a value for every element in
  the array.