Fortran Expression and I/O Statement

Input Statement

It is necessary for solving a problem on a digital computer that the required data should be transformed from one of its input unit to its memory and this is done by input statements. Information is provided from several types of input units to its memory unit.

A statement consists of one or more key words, symbolic names, literal constants and operators with appropriate punctuation. Most statements begin with a keyword. Keywords are those which are predefined by the compiler.

When a program being executed then the result is transformed from its memory to one of several output units and this is done by output statements.

The READ statement is the data transfer input statement. The WRITE and PRINT statements are the data transfer output statements.

The general form of the input statement is:

READ*, input-list

Input-list is a single variable or a list of variables separated by commas.

This means some information is being given to memory of computer through input statement. Now memory of computer will understand that something has been given to read. Here list are the variables which must be separated with comma.

Example:

READ*, a, b, c

From the above example you can understand that " a, b and c " are three variables and these are separated by commas.