# I/O Status Specifier (IOSTAT=)

The I/O status specifier designates a variable to store a value indicating the status of a data transfer operation. It takes the following form:

IOSTAT=i-var

i-var | Is a scalar integer variable. When a data transfer statement is executed, i-var is set to one of the following values:
A positive integer | Indicating an error condition occurred.
A negative integer | Indicating an end-of-file or end-of-record condition occurred. The negative integers differ depending on which condition occurred.
Zero | Indicating no error, end-of-file, or end-of-record condition occurred.

Execution continues with the statement following the data transfer statement, or the statement identified by a branch specifier (if any).

An end-of-file condition occurs only during execution of a sequential READ statement; an end-of-record condition occurs only during execution of a nonadvancing READ statement.

Parent topic: I/O Control List

## See Also

List of Run-Time Error Messages
CLOSE
READ
WRITE