Features of Cray Pointers

• Whenever the pointee is referenced, f90 uses the current value of the pointer as the address of the pointee.

• The Cray pointer type statement declares both the pointer and the pointee.

• The Cray pointer is of type Cray pointer.

• The value of a Cray pointer occupies one storage unit. Its range of values depends on the size of memory for the machine in use.

• The Cray pointer can appear in a COMMON list or as a dummy argument.

• The Cray pointee has no address until the value of the Cray pointer is defined.

• If an array is named as a pointee, it is called a pointee array.

  Its array declarator can appear in:

  • A separate type statement

  • A separate DIMENSION statement

  • The pointer statement itself

• If the array declarator is in a subprogram, the dimensioning can refer to:

  • Variables in a common block, or

  • Variables that are dummy arguments

• The size of each dimension is evaluated on entrance to the subprogram, not when the pointee is referenced.