# How do i allocate an array of strings?

**URL:** <https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-allocate-an-array-of-strings/3930>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [July 5, 2022, 5:12pm UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-allocate-an-array-of-strings/3930 "2022-07-05T17:12:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 55

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ivanpribec](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/fortran-lang.discourse.group/ivanpribec/32/3290_2.png) [@ivanpribec](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/u/ivanpribec)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2023, 11:27am UTC](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-allocate-an-array-of-strings/3930/55 "2023-09-24T11:27:52Z")

</div>

IMO, the `iso_varying_string` should drop the `iso` prefix until it actually becomes part of the standard.

The aim of `stdlib` is to become a _de facto_ standard. In the past I have remarked that it would be nice if vendors showed interest of packaging it in their compiler distributions, but so far I’ve seen almost no sign of interest.

I believe @certik has previously suggested making the `stdlib` modules part of LFortran, but this would not make them part of the Fortran specification. Quoting section 14.2.1 of [J3/18-007r1](https://j3-fortran.org/doc/year/18/18-007r1.pdf)

> A module that is provided as an inherent part of the _processor_ is an intrinsic module. A nonintrinsic module is defined by a module program unit or a means other than Fortran.
> 
> Procedures and types defined in an intrinsic module are not themselves intrinsic.

I haven’t used the `varying_string` module to be able to judge fully, but I understand the main differences is it provides `put` and `get` procedures, which we rejected in stdlib in favor of derived-type I/O, and it provides an additional assignment operator from `varying_string` to character, whereas in `stdlib` we opted for an explicit conversion using a function named `char`. (@everythingfunctional, please correct me if I’m wrong.)

Were the `string_type` to ever become standard (either as an intrinsic type, or a modified `varying_string` proposal) I believe we could deprecate the stdlib one and amend our documentation to suggest using the one that is part of the standard. But in principle it would remain viable forever as it’s just a non-intrinsic user derived type.

---

_[View the full topic](https://fortran-lang.discourse.group/t/how-do-i-allocate-an-array-of-strings/3930)._