Prevents specified variables, arrays, and common blocks from being optimized during compilation. The VOLATILE attribute can be specified in a type declaration statement or VOLATILE statement, and takes one of the following forms: Type Declaration Statement: type, [att-ls,] VOLATILE [,attr-ls] :: obj [,obj]... Statement: VOLATILE obj [,obj]... type Is a data type specifier. attr-ls Is an optional list of attribute specifiers. obj Is the name of an object or a common block enclosed in slashes. A variable or COMMON block must be declared VOLATILE if it can be read or written in a way that is not visible to the compiler. For example: o If an operating system feature is used to place a variable in shared memory (so that it can be accessed by other programs), the variable must be declared VOLATILE. o If a variable is modified by a routine called by the operating system when an asynchronous event occurs, the variable must be declared VOLATILE. If an array is declared VOLATILE, each element in the array becomes volatile. If a common block is declared VOLATILE, each variable in the common block becomes volatile. If an object of derived type is declared VOLATILE, its components become volatile. If a pointer is declared VOLATILE, the pointer itself becomes volatile. A VOLATILE statement cannot specify the following: o A procedure o A function result o A namelist group The VOLATILE attribute is compatible with the ALLOCATABLE, AUTOMATIC, DIMENSION, INTENT, OPTIONAL, POINTER, PRIVATE, PUBLIC, SAVE, STATIC, and TARGET attributes.