how to write wrapper for 'allocate' - fortran

Question

I am trying to write a wrapper for 'allocate' function, i.e. function which receives an array and dimensions, allocates memory and returns allocated array. The most important thing is that the function must work with arrays of different rank. But I have to explicitly state rank of array in function interface, and in this case code only compiles if I pass arrays of certain rank as a parameter. For example, this code does not compile:
module memory_allocator
contains
subroutine memory(array, length)
implicit none
real(8), allocatable, intent(out), dimension(:) :: array
integer, intent(in) :: length
integer :: ierr
print *, "memory: before: ", allocated(array)
allocate(array(length), stat=ierr)
if (ierr /= 0) then
print *, "error allocating memory: ierr=", ierr
end if
print *, "memory: after: ", allocated(array)
end subroutine memory
subroutine freem(array)
implicit none
real(8), allocatable, dimension(:) :: array
print *, "freem: before: ", allocated(array)
deallocate(array)
print *, "freem: after: ", allocated(array)
end subroutine freem
end module memory_allocator
program alloc
use memory_allocator
implicit none
integer, parameter :: n = 3
real(8), allocatable, dimension(:,:,:) :: foo
integer :: i, j, k
print *, "main: before memory: ", allocated(foo)
call memory(foo, n*n*n)
print *, "main: after memory: ", allocated(foo)
do i = 1,n
do j = 1,n
do k = 1, n
foo(i, j, k) = real(i*j*k)
end do
end do
end do
print *, foo
print *, "main: before freem: ", allocated(foo)
call freem(foo)
print *, "main: after freem: ", allocated(foo)
end program alloc
Compilation error:
gfortran -o alloc alloc.f90 -std=f2003
alloc.f90:46.14:
call memory(foo, n*n*n)
1
Error: Rank mismatch in argument 'array' at (1) (1 and 3)
alloc.f90:60.13:
call freem(foo)
1
Error: Rank mismatch in argument 'array' at (1) (1 and 3)
Is there any way of implementing such wrapper?..
Thanks!

Answer 1

This can be done via a generic interface block. You have to create procedures for each rank that you want to handle, e.g., memory_1d, memory_2d, ... memory_4d. (Obviously a lot of cut & pasting.) Then you write a generic interface block that gives all of these procedures the alternative name memory as a generic procedure name. When you call memory, the compiler distinguishes which memory_Xd should be called based on the rank of the argument. The same for your freem functions.
This is how intrinsic functions such as sin have long worked -- you can call sin with a real arguments of various previsions, or with a complex argument, and the compiler figures out with actual sin function to call. In really old FORTRAN you had to use different names for the different sin functions. Now modern Fortran you can setup the same thing with your own routines.
Edit: adding a code example demonstrating the method & syntax:
module double_array_mod
implicit none
interface double_array
module procedure double_vector
module procedure double_array_2D
end interface double_array
private ! hides items not listed on public statement
public :: double_array
contains
subroutine double_vector (vector)
integer, dimension (:), intent (inout) :: vector
vector = 2 * vector
end subroutine double_vector
subroutine double_array_2D (array)
integer, dimension (:,:), intent (inout) :: array
array = 2 * array
end subroutine double_array_2D
end module double_array_mod
program demo_user_generic
use double_array_mod
implicit none
integer, dimension (2) :: A = [1, 2]
integer, dimension (2,2) :: B = reshape ( [11, 12, 13, 14], [2,2] )
integer :: i
write (*, '( / "vector before:", / 2(2X, I3) )' ) A
call double_array (A)
write (*, '( / "vector after:", / 2(2X, I3) )' ) A
write (*, '( / "2D array before:" )' )
do i=1, 2
write (*, '( 2(2X, I3) )' ) B (i, :)
end do
call double_array (B)
write (*, '( / "2D array after:" )' )
do i=1, 2
write (*, '( 2(2X, I3) )' ) B (i, :)
end do
stop
end program demo_user_generic

Answer 2

subroutine memory(array, length) has as it first dummy parameter 1-dimensional array (real(8), allocatable, intent(out), dimension(:) :: array).
Calling this subroutine from your main program with 3-dimensional array foo (real(8), allocatable, dimension(:,:,:) :: foo) is error obviously. And this is what compiler actually said.
If you really need such subroutines write one pair memory/freem subroutines for each array of different dimension - one subroutines pair for 1-dimensional array, another for 2-dimensional array, etc.
By the way, memory subroutines will be different in general because in order to allocate n-dimensional array you need to pass n extents to above-mentioned subroutine.