Examples

   1.$ COUNT = 57
     $ REPORT = F$FAO("NUMBER OF FORMS = !SL",COUNT)
     $ SHOW SYMBOL REPORT
       REPORT = "NUMBER OF FORMS = 57"

     In this command procedure, the FAO directive !SL is used in
     a control string to convert the number equated to the symbol
     COUNT to a character string. The converted string is inserted
     into the control string.

     Note that COUNT is assigned an integer value of 57. The F$FAO
     function returns the ASCII string, "NUMBER OF FORMS = 57", and
     assigns the string to the symbol REPORT.

   2.$ A = "ERR"
     $ B = "IS"
     $ C = "HUM"
     $ D = "AN"
     $ PHRASE = F$FAO("TO !3(AS)",A,B,C+D)
     $ SHOW SYMBOL PHRASE
     $ PHRASE = "TO ERRISHUMAN"

     In this command procedure, the !AS directive is used to insert
     the values assigned to the symbols A, B, C, and D into the
     control string.

     Because the specified repeat count for the !AS directive is 3,
     F$FAO looks for three arguments. The arguments in this example
     include the symbol A ("ERR"), the symbol B ("IS"), and the
     expression C+D ("HUMAN"). Note that the values of these string
     arguments are concatenated to form the string "ERRISHUMAN".

   3.$ A = "ERR"
     $ B = "IS"
     $ C = "HUMAN"
     $ PHRASE = F$FAO("TO !#(#AS)",3,6,A,B,C)
     $ SHOW SYMBOL PHRASE
     $ PHRASE = "TO ERR   IS    HUMAN "

     In this command procedure, the F$FAO function is used with
     the !AS directive to format a character string. The first
     number sign (#)  represents the repeat count given by the
     first argument, 3. The second number sign represents the field
     size given by the second argument, 6. The next three arguments
     (A,B,C) provide the strings that are placed into the control
     string each time the !AS directive is repeated.

     Each argument string is output to a field having a length of
     6 characters. Because each string is less than 6 characters,
     each field is left-justified and padded with blank spaces. The
     resulting string is assigned to the symbol PHRASE.

   4.$ OFFSPRING = 1
     $ REPORT = F$FAO-
     ("There !0UL!1%Cis!%Eare!%F !-!UL !-!0UL!1%Cchild!%Echildren!%F here",OFFSPRING)
     $ SHOW SYMBOL REPORT
     $ REPORT ="There is 1 child here"

     In this command procedure, the !0UL directive evaluates the
     argument OFFSPRING but does not insert the value in the output
     string. The !n%C directive inserts the character string "is"
     into the output string because its value and the value of the
     argument OFFSPRING match. The directives !-!UL evaluate the
     argument a second time so that the correct character string can
     be inserted in the proper place in the output string. The !%F
     directive marks the end of each plurals statement. The F$FAO
     function returns the ASCII string "There is 1 child here" and
     assigns the string to the symbol REPORT.