## 8.3.6 Repeat Counts and Group Repeat Counts

You can apply the field descriptors I, O, Z, F, E, D, G, L, and A to a number of successive data fields by preceding the field descriptor with an unsigned integer constant specifying the number of repetitions. This constant is called a repeat count. (PARAMETER constants cannot be used as repeat counts.)

For example, the following two statements are equivalent:

    20   FORMAT (E12.4,E12.4,E12.4,I5,I5,I5,I5)

    20   FORMAT (3E12.4,4I5)

Similarly, you can apply a group of field descriptors repeatedly to data fields by enclosing these field descriptors in parentheses and preceding them with an unsigned integer constant (PARAMETER constants are not allowed). The integer constant is called a group repeat count.

In Figure 8-1, both statements are equivalent.

### Figure 8-1 Example of a Group Repeat Count

If you do not specify a group repeat count, a default count of 1 is assumed.

Edit descriptors, which cannot otherwise be repeated, can be enclosed in parentheses and treated as group repeat specifications. In this form, they can be repeated a desired number of times.

For information on how to use parentheses when the number of values to be formatted exceeds the number of format specifications, see Section 8.10.

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