Format_Specifiers

 A format appearing in an input or output (I/O) statement specifies
 the form of data being transferred and the data conversion
 (editing) required to achieve that form.  The format specified can
 be explicit or implicit.

 Explicit format is indicated in a format specification that appears
 in a FORMAT statement or a character expression (the expression
 must evaluate to a valid format specification).

 The format specification contains edit descriptors, which can be
 data edit descriptors, control edit descriptors, or string edit
 descriptors.

 Implicit format is determined by the processor and is specified
 using list-directed or namelist formatting.

 List-directed formatting is specified with an asterisk (*);
 namelist formatting is specified with a namelist group name.

 List-directed formatting can be specified for advancing, sequential
 files and internal files.  Namelist formatting can be specified
 only for advancing, sequential files.

Additional information available:

Default_Data_Descriptors        General_Form    Format_Descriptors
Nested_and_Group_Repeats        Reversion       Variable_Format_Expressions
Data_Edit       Control_Edit    String_Edit     Carriage_Control
$_or_\          :               A               BN              BZ
D               E               EN              ES              F
G               H               I               L               O
P               Q               S               SP              SS
Slash           T               TL              TR              X
Z