An ENCODE and DECODE facility, a subroutine added to a FORTRAN 4 library, allows alphanumeric data to be transfered to or from an area in memory rather than to or from external input/output devices. A buffer storage array allows the operations on the data prior to writing

Cohn, C. E.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

June 1969
	
Brief 69-10169 
•	
GY Co.,
	
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Encode/Decode Facility for FORTRAN IV 
The problem: 
To develop a program which will allow operations 
on alphanumeric data prior to storage or writing. 
The FORTRAN 1V formatted READ and WRITE 
statements cause transfer of alphanumeric data to or 
from the external input or output device selected by 
the unit number. However, for some applications, it is 
convenient if such data can be transferred instead to 
or from an area in memory, so that further operations 
can be performed. 
The solution: 
An ENCODE and DECODE facility, a subroutine 
added to a FORTRAN IV library, allows alpha-
numeric data to be transferred to or from an area in 
memory rather than to or from external input/output 
devices. A buffer storage array allows the operations 
on the data prior to writing. 
How it's done: 
An ENCODE/DECODE facility can be added to 
a FORTRAN IV system by adding a suitable subrou-
tine, appropriating an I/O unit number that is not 
otherwise used. The subroutine is written to transfer 
the data to or from an array. 
For the DDP-24 computer, the array is designated 
by the statement "CALL BUFDEF (M,N)," where 
M is the integer array that receives or supplies the 
alphanumeric data, and N is an integer constant or 
variable indicating the number of data words trans-
ferred. N must not be larger than the length of the 
array M, nor greater than the length of the buffer 
area used by the I/O conversion routines. These 
assignments apply to all subsequent operations until 
altered by another CALL BUFDEF statement. The 
number of characters per word (four for the DDP-
24) depends upon the computer word length.
The unit number 8 was selected for this use. The 
statement "READ (8,n) list" takes N words of 
alphanumeric data from the array M and converts 
them according to FORMAT statement n to fulfill the 
list. In the process, the input-output buffer area is 
loaded with N words of data from M. If N is less 
than the buffer length, the remainder of the buffer 
area is filled with space codes. The contents of M 
are not altered. (If the list and FORMAT statement 
are such as to call for multi-line input, the contents 
of M are transmitted repeatedly.) 
Reversing direction, the statement "WRITE (8,n) 
list" converts the list according to FORMAT state-
ment n, and stores the first N words of the result in 
the array M. (If the list and FORMAT statement 
produce multi-line output, the output from later lines 
will overwrite the output from earlier lines.) 
Notes: 
1. Users, on input, may read different card or record 
formats without a prior knowledge of the READ 
statement format. 
2. Additional details are contained in Software Age, 
Vol. 2, No. 8, Page 16, September, 1968. 
3. Inquiries concerning this information may be di-
rected to: 
Office of Industrial Cooperation 
Argonne National Laboratory 
9700 South Cass Avenue 
Argonne, Illinois 60439 
Reference: B69-10169 
• Source: C. E. Cohn
Reactor Physics Division 
Argonne National Laboratory

(ARG-10335) 
(continued ovnrleai( 
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https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19690000169 2020-03-16T17:39:44+00:00Z
Patent status: 
Inquiries concerning rights for commercial use of 
this innovation may be made to: 
Mr. George H. Lee, Chief 
Chicago Patent Group 
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission 
Chicago Operations Office 
9800 South Cass Avenue 
Argonne, Illinois 60439
. 
. 
Brief 69-10169	 Category 06


Encode/Decode facility for FORTRAN 4

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