Remember those handy functions from matlab str2num and num2str that convert strings to numbers and viceversa. This is an archaic form of real that is specific to one type for a. Kind optional an integer initialization expression indicating the kind parameter of the result. Well, fortran is quite capable of the same functionality, just not in that explicit way. Changing precision mode presumably violates the calling convention for microsoft library functions. So im looking for a fortran function like the catof which converts a character variable to a float or better double precision one. A real 8 or double precision constant has more than twice the accuracy of a real 4 number, and greater range. Shall be of type integer, real, or complex or or a bozliteralconstant. List of generic fortran functions function number of arguments generic name. Files and precision free guide to programming fortran 9095. Given the trend away from use of 32bit compilers and x87 floating point, these possibilities may not be worth consideration.