http://gcc.gnu.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=50070
--- Comment #9 from janus at gcc dot gnu.org 2011-08-15 09:49:44 UTC --- Btw, for a related test case ... subroutine sub common n,z integer z(n) end ... gfortran spits out: integer z(n) 1 Error: Variable 'n' at (1) in this context must be constant Here we also complain about non-constant expressions (instead of "automatic objects"), so we should probably stick to this kind of wording also for the original test case (which had non-constant character lengths).