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(g77-295.info)%LOC()

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The `%LOC()' Construct
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     %LOC(ARG)

   The `%LOC()' construct is an expression that yields the value of the
location of its argument, ARG, in memory.  The size of the type of the
expression depends on the system--typically, it is equivalent to either
`INTEGER(KIND=1)' or `INTEGER(KIND=2)', though it is actually type
`INTEGER(KIND=7)'.

   The argument to `%LOC()' must be suitable as the left-hand side of
an assignment statement.  That is, it may not be a general expression
involving operators such as addition, subtraction, and so on, nor may
it be a constant.

   Use of `%LOC()' is recommended only for code that is accessing
facilities outside of GNU Fortran, such as operating system or
windowing facilities.  It is best to constrain such uses to isolated
portions of a program--portions that deal specifically and exclusively
with low-level, system-dependent facilities.  Such portions might well
provide a portable interface for use by the program as a whole, but are
themselves not portable, and should be thoroughly tested each time they
are rebuilt using a new compiler or version of a compiler.

   Do not depend on `%LOC()' returning a pointer that can be safely
used to *define* (change) the argument.  While this might work in some
circumstances, it is hard to predict whether it will continue to work
when a program (that works using this unsafe behavior) is recompiled
using different command-line options or a different version of `g77'.

   Generally, `%LOC()' is safe when used as an argument to a procedure
that makes use of the value of the corresponding dummy argument only
during its activation, and only when such use is restricted to
referencing (reading) the value of the argument to `%LOC()'.

   *Implementation Note:* Currently, `g77' passes arguments (those not
passed using a construct such as `%VAL()') by reference or descriptor,
depending on the type of the actual argument.  Thus, given `INTEGER I',
`CALL FOO(I)' would seem to mean the same thing as `CALL
FOO(%VAL(%LOC(I)))', and in fact might compile to identical code.

   However, `CALL FOO(%VAL(%LOC(I)))' emphatically means "pass, by
value, the address of `I' in memory".  While `CALL FOO(I)' might use
that same approach in a particular version of `g77', another version or
compiler might choose a different implementation, such as
copy-in/copy-out, to effect the desired behavior--and which will
therefore not necessarily compile to the same code as would `CALL
FOO(%VAL(%LOC(I)))' using the same version or compiler.

   Note: Debugging and Interfacing, for detailed information on how
this particular version of `g77' implements various constructs.