# 8.7 Format Specification Separators

Field descriptors and edit descriptors in a format specification are generally separated by commas, but you can also use the slash (/) record terminator to separate these descriptors.

A slash terminates input or output of the current record and initiates a new record; for example:

         WRITE (6,40) K,L,M,N,O,P

    40   FORMAT (3I6.6/I6,2F8.4)

The preceding statements are equivalent to the following statements:

         WRITE (6,40) K,L,M

    40   FORMAT (3I6.6)

         WRITE (6,50) N,O,P

    50   FORMAT (I6,2F8.4)

Multiple slashes cause the system to bypass input records or output blank records. If n consecutive slashes appear between two field or edit descriptors, (n-1) records are skipped on input, or (n-1) blank records are output. The first slash terminates the current record. The second slash terminates the first skipped or blank record, and so on.

However, n slashes at the beginning or end of a format specification result in n skipped or blank records. This is because the opening and closing parentheses of the format specification are themselves a record initiator and terminator, respectively; for example:

         WRITE (6,99)

    99   FORMAT ('1',T51,'HEADING LINE'//T51,'SUBHEADING LINE'//)

The previous statements produce the following output:

| Column 50, top of page
| `HEADING LINE`
(blank line) |
| `SUBHEADING LINE`
(blank line) |
(blank line) |

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