File I/O Unformatted Stream Vs Binary

[ScottBoyce]

I am not familiar with opening a file with form set to Unformated with Acess set to Stream. Is this identical to opening a file with form set to Binary. If not, since they are record free files would something written with both forms produce the same binary? What would be the pros/cons between them if there is a difference. Right now I am able to postprocess form set to binary with python, but I assume it should work with stream because its equivalent to a C-binary?

Thanks as always.

[Steven_L_Intel1]

Yes, it's the same (for unformatted). 'BINARY' is an extension, ACCESS='STREAM' is standard.

[ScottBoyce]

So

[fortran]

Open(UNIT=55,FORM='unformatted',ACCESS='STREAM')

[/fortran]

would produce the same file as:

[fortran]

Open(UNIT=55,FORM='BINARY')

[/fortran]

[Steven_L_Intel1]

Assuming all the WRITEs are the same, yes.

[nvaneck]

I've been using FORM='BINARY' for years now with scratch files and a few others. I understand that the introduction of STREAM was at least partly to standardize the way different compilers implemented BINARY, for compatibility reasons. There was one little twist I found; I was using ACCESS="APPEND' in one case,, which is another extension and incompatible with STREAM. Fortunately, the POSITION keyword in OPEN came to the rescue....