# Fortran 2023 standard

**URL:** <https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/fortran-2023-standard/5137>\
**Category:** Help\
**Created:** [February 5, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/fortran-2023-standard/5137 "2023-02-05T21:42:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 40

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**Author:** ![jeremie.vandenplas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/76d3ee/32.png) [@jeremie.vandenplas](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/jeremie.vandenplas)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 5:19pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/fortran-2023-standard/5137/40 "2023-06-29T17:19:50Z")

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> [@sblionel](#):
>
> . If you want bit strings, you keep them in integer containers and there is a wide array of intrinsics and other features you can use to manipulate them.

This is indeed what users (I) do. However, the standard mentions “…The model for the interpretation of an integer value as a sequence of bits is in 16.3…”, which makes the use of such features processor-dependent, especially for negative integers. See, e.g., [this post](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/bits-type-in-f202y/6007/10) for an example of such an “issue”/limitation.

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