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<TITLE>BUGS</TITLE>
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<A NAME="lbAM"> </A> <H2>BUGS</H2>
<B>ftnchek</B> still has much room for improvement.
Your feedback is appreciated. We want to know about any bugs you notice.
Bugs include not only cases in which <B>ftnchek</B> issues an error message
where no error exists, but also if <B>ftnchek</B> fails to issue a warning when
it ought to. Note, however, that <B>ftnchek</B> is not intended to catch all
syntax errors (see <A HREF="lbAK.html">section on Limitations</A>).
Also, it is not considered a bug for a variable to be
reported as used before set, if the reason is that the usage of the
variable occurs prior in the text to where the variable is set. For
instance, this could occur when a GOTO causes execution to loop backward
to some previously skipped statements. <B>ftnchek</B> does not analyze the
program flow, but assumes that statements occurring earlier in the text
are executed before the following ones.
<P>
We especially want to know if <B>ftnchek</B> crashes for any reason. It is
not supposed to crash, even on programs with syntax errors. Suggestions
are welcomed for additional features which you would find useful. Tell
us if any of <B>ftnchek</B>'s
messages are incomprehensible. Comments on the
readability and accuracy of this document are also welcome.
<P>
You may also suggest support for additional extensions to the
Fortran language. These will be included only if it is felt that the
extensions are sufficiently widely accepted by compilers.
<P>
If you find a bug in <B>ftnchek</B>,
first consult the list of known bugs
below to see if it has already been reported. Also check the <A HREF="lbAK.html">section
entitled ``Limitations and Extensions''</A> above for restrictions
that could be causing the problem. If you do not find the problem
documented in either place, then send a report including
<DL COMPACT>
<DT>1.<DD>
The operating system and CPU type on which <B>ftnchek</B> is running.
<DT>2.<DD>
The version of <B>ftnchek</B> and values of any environment options or
settings defined in startup file. (Capturing the output of ftnchek
-help is useful for this.)
<DT>3.<DD>
A brief description of the bug.
<DT>4.<DD>
If possible, a small sample program showing the bug.
</DL>
<P>
<BR>
The report should be sent to the following address:
<CENTER>
<A HREF="mailto:moniot@fordham.edu">moniot@fordham.edu</A><BR>
</CENTER>
<P>
Highest priority will be given to bugs which cause <B>ftnchek</B> to crash.
<P>
Certain problems that arise when checking large programs can be fixed
by increasing the sizes of the data areas in <B>ftnchek</B>. (These
problems are generally signaled by error messages beginning with ``Oops''.)
The simplest way to increase the table sizes is by
recompiling <B>ftnchek</B> with the LARGE_MACHINE macro name
defined. Consult the makefile and README file for the
method of doing this.
<P>
The following is a list of known bugs.
<DL COMPACT>
<DT>1.<DD>
Bug: Used-before-set message is suppressed for any variable which
is used as the loop index in an implied-do loop, even if it was in
fact used before being set in some earlier statement.
For example, consider J in the statement
<DL COMPACT><DT><DD>
<P>
<PRE>
WRITE(5,*) (A(J), J=1,10)
</PRE>
<P>
Here <B>ftnchek</B> parses the I/O expression,
A(J), where J is used, before it parses the implied loop
where J is set. Normally this would cause
<B>ftnchek</B> to report a spurious used-before-set warning for J.
Since this report is usually in error and occurs fairly commonly,
<B>ftnchek</B> suppresses the warning for J altogether.
<P>
Prognosis: A future version of <B>ftnchek</B> is planned which will handle
implied-do loops correctly.
</DL>
<DT>2.<DD>
Bug: Variables used (not as arguments) in statement-function
subprograms do not have their usage status updated when the statement
function is invoked.
<DL COMPACT><DT><DD>
<P>
Prognosis: To be fixed in a future version of <B>ftnchek</B>.
</DL>
<DT>3.<DD>
Bug: VAX version does not expand wildcards in filenames on the
command line if they are followed without space by an option, e.g.
ftnchek *.f/calltree would not expand the *.f.
This is because VMS-style options without intervening
space are not supported by the GNU shell_mung routine that is used
to expand wildcards.
<DL COMPACT><DT><DD>
<P>
Prognosis: unlikely to be fixed.
</DL>
<DT>4.<DD>
Bug: checking for nonstandard format edit descriptors is done only in
FORMAT statements, not in character strings used as formats.
<DL COMPACT><DT><DD>
<P>
Prognosis: may be fixed someday.
</DL>
<P>
</DL>
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