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WDG · Joined: 13 May 2008 Posts: 14

How can I convert numbers to character strings
(and vice-versa)?
I used to use ENCODE and DECODE but I don't dee these in the help. Sad

For example looking at a hex dump I have the following two bytes
32 38 i.e. 28 I need an integer with 28.

JohnHorspool · Joined: 26 Sep 2005 Posts: 270 Location: Gloucestershire UK

I don't think that ENCODE and DECODE were ever part of the fortran standard. I remember they were VAX extensions. Certainly on the VAX they were equivalent to an internal read and write, where instead of reading from and writing to a unit number a character string variable replaced the unit number. This is part of the fortran standard.

READ(character_string_variable,*)K

and

WRITE(character_string_variable,'(I Cool

')K

JohnHorspool · Joined: 26 Sep 2005 Posts: 270 Location: Gloucestershire UK

came out wrong !

IanLambley · Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Posts: 490 Location: Sunderland

Here are some examples on other websites:
http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-3.1.1/g77/ENCODE-and-DECODE.html
and
http://docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/doc3k/B3150190021.12118/44
http://docs.hp.com/cgi-bin/doc3k/B3150190021.12118/36

In your case for two characters, you will need the I2 format in the read statement described by John
Regards

Ian

LitusSaxonicum · Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 11:22 pm Post subject:

I have a feeling that they were more than VAX-only extensions, and existed prior to the VAX. You can also give the statement number of a format statement if you wish.

E

j clark · Posted: Thu May 22, 2008 7:45 pm Post subject: ENCODE and DECODE trivia

Actually, ENCODE and DECODE go back much farther than VAX/VMS.
Before there was even a Digital Equipment Corp. The oldest implementation I am aware of was as library routines on the IBM 1620. That would be circa 1960, but it may be even older.