..
  Copyright 1988-2022 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
  This is part of the GCC manual.
  For copying conditions, see the copyright.rst file.

.. _len:

.. index:: LEN

.. index:: string, length

LEN --- Length of a character entity
************************************

.. function:: LEN(STRING , KIND)

  Returns the length of a character string.  If :samp:`{STRING}` is an array,
  the length of an element of :samp:`{STRING}` is returned.  Note that
  :samp:`{STRING}` need not be defined when this intrinsic is invoked, since
  only the length, not the content, of :samp:`{STRING}` is needed.

  :param STRING:
    Shall be a scalar or array of type
    ``CHARACTER``, with ``INTENT(IN)``

  :param KIND:
    (Optional) An ``INTEGER`` initialization
    expression indicating the kind parameter of the result.

  :return:
    The return value is of type ``INTEGER`` and of kind :samp:`{KIND}`. If
    :samp:`{KIND}` is absent, the return value is of default integer kind.

  Standard:
    Fortran 77 and later, with :samp:`{KIND}` argument Fortran 2003 and later

  Class:
    Inquiry function

  Syntax:
    .. code-block:: fortran

      L = LEN(STRING [, KIND])

  Specific names:
    .. list-table::
       :header-rows: 1

       * - Name
         - Argument
         - Return type
         - Standard

       * - ``LEN(STRING)``
         - ``CHARACTER``
         - ``INTEGER``
         - Fortran 77 and later

  See also:
    :ref:`LEN_TRIM`,
    :ref:`ADJUSTL`,
    :ref:`ADJUSTR`