# Character Count Specifier (SIZE=)

The character count specifier defines a variable to contain the count of the characters transferred by data edit descriptors during execution of the current input statement. It takes the following form:

SIZE=i-var

i-var | Is a scalar integer variable.

If PAD='YES' was specified for file connection, blanks inserted as padding are not counted.

For input statements, the SIZE= specifier can appear only in a formatted, sequential READ statement that has the specifier ADVANCE='NO' (nonadvancing input). It must not be specified for list-directed or namelist data transfer.

For asynchronous nonadvancing input, the storage units specified in the SIZE= specifier become defined with the count of the characters transferred when the corresponding wait operation is executed.

Parent topic: I/O Control List