Constants (Parameters)

Symbolic constants, oddly known as parameters in Fortran, can easily be set up either in an attributed declaration or parameter statement,

   REAL, PARAMETER :: pi = 3.14159 
   CHARACTER(LEN=*), PARAMETER :: &
                     son = 'bart', dad = "Homer"

CHARACTER constants can assume their length from the associated literal (LEN=*).

Parameters should be used:

• if it is known that a variable will only take one value;
• for legibility where a `magic value' occurs in a program such as ;
• for maintainability when a `constant' value could feasibly be changed in the future.

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