explaining error messages

Would some kind person please explain what this error message means? It's the last error remaining.

'Missing repeat count for 'X' descriptor' which appears below these lines:

  write (6,3) 
3 format(1h ,5x,29h ,output from prog lifetab //1h ,6x,4h ,mx,
 16x,4h ,qx,6x,4h ,px,6x,4h ,lx ,6x,4h ,dx ,6x,4h ,blx,
 26x,4h ,tx, 6x,4h ,ex)

(mx, qx, px etc are all life-table variables)

Apparently here is also a comma missing in the format but I should be able to find that.

We should be thankful that we have alternatives to Hollerith strings. How about the following:

c
      write (6,3)
    3 format(1h ,5x,'output from prog lifetab',//,7x,' ,mx',
     1 6x,' ,qx',6x,' ,px',6x,' ,lx' ,6x,' ,dx' ,6x,' ,blx',
     2 6x,' ,tx', 6x,' ,ex')
      end

One may guess that 'blx' replaced a former two-character name, which broke the count of 4 that was used; that is, 4H ,blx should really be 5H ,blx .

FTN95 has the /CONVERT option to help you port old code with Hollerith strings into more manageable modern Fortran source. It would be beneficial for you to use that option to get rid of all the Hollerith strings in your source codes, but that conversion will not work if there are errors present such as the one in this thread.

Quoted from DavidColeman Would some kind person please explain what this error message means? It's the last error remaining.

'Missing repeat count for 'X' descriptor' which appears below these lines:

  write (6,3) 
3 format(1h ,5x,29h ,output from prog lifetab //1h ,6x,4h ,mx,
 16x,4h ,qx,6x,4h ,px,6x,4h ,lx ,6x,4h ,dx ,6x,4h ,blx,
 26x,4h ,tx, 6x,4h ,ex)

(mx, qx, px etc are all life-table variables)

Apparently here is also a comma missing in the format but I should be able to find that.

Thank you very much, kind person. Now all correct!