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What is F2KCLI ?

F2KCLI is an implementation of the Fortran F2003 command line interface, which consists of three routines:

• COMMAND_ARGUMENT_COUNT : Returns the number of command arguments.
• GET_COMMAND_ARGUMENT : Returns a command argument.
• GET_COMMAND : Returns the entire command by which the program was invoked.

F2KCLI provides versions of these routines for a very wide range of Fortran 77/9x compilers. About 80 different platform/compiler combinations are supported. See the compatibility page for a full list.

Why ?

"How do I access the program command line?" is likely to feature high on any Fortran related FAQ. Unfortunately, the equally frequent answer is "It depends". Up to and including Fortran 95, there has been no standard method of command line access. While the F2003 standard finally addresses this requirement, it is reasonable to assume that F2003 compilers will not be in general usage for some time. In the meantime, this leaves the Fortran community with its existing hotch potch of inconsistent solutions for several years to come.

Since command line access could readily have been addressed in previous Fortran standards, it follows that the proposed F2003 interface can be retrospectively implemented for most existing F77/9x compilers. That is exactly what F2KCLI does. It provides command line access in a consistent manner to the vast majority of Fortran 77/9x users, while simultaneously offering upwards compatibility with the F2003 standard.

Status and Support

F2KCLI has been written on a voluntary basis by Interactive Software Services Ltd., the developers of Winteracter, the Fortran 9x GUI Toolset.

F2KCLI is free software (that is "free" as in "free lunch" or "free beer"). Source code is supplied for all supported platforms, plus binaries for nearly all of the Windows, DOS and OS/2 implemetations. While I.S.S. Ltd. retains the copyright over the F2KCLI code, it can be used in any program, including commercial applications. While an acknowledgement of its source in any program documentation would be appreciated, this is not required. For further details, see "Conditions of Use" in the manual.txt file included in the F2KCLI file set.

An extremely wide range of compilers are supported. However anyone wishing to contribute implementations for unsupported compilers/platforms is welcome to do so. The source of any such contributions will be fully acknowledged.

F2KCLI is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. However, ISS Ltd. will endeavour to provide support covering bug fixes and documentation corrections (sorry, we can't guarantee to answer general 'how to' queries). To report bugs or to submit contributions send email to .