....
            $nvar = 9;
     ....
            foreach $k (1..$nvar) {
                
#
#   for each of the 9 $nvars,
#
                $record = <IN>;
                chomp($record);
                
#
#   I will read in a record and clear trailing newline.
#

                @values = &decode($record,$nt,$val_m);

#
#   I will 'decode' a record, using $nt and $val_m.
#

#
#   for each of the $nts
#
                foreach $it (1..$nt) {
                    
#
#   if the $it'th-1 element of $values is less than one
#   and is not equal to $val_m, I will die.
                  if ($values[$it-1] < 0 and $values[$it-1] != $val_m) {
                     die "error: found negative value.\n";
                  }
                  
                  
                  $field[$it-1][$k-1] = $values[$it-1];
#
#   I will put $values[$it-1] into $field[$it-1][k-1].
#
                }
            }
            
            foreach $it (1..$nt) {
# 
#   For each of the $nts...
#
                $tmp  = sprintf "%s", $some_vector[$it-1];
#
#   I will format $some_vector[$it-1].
#
                foreach $k (1..$nvar) {
#
#   And the for each of the $nvars...
#
                    
                   $tmp = $tmp.sprintf " %11.4E", $field[$it-1][$k-1];

                }
               $tmp = $tmp."\n";
               print OUT $tmp;
#
#   I'll format it and print it.
#
            }

#     (2) this is seems to go the same speed as the one above ...
#
#           foreach $it (1..$nt) {
#               printf OUT "%s", $some_vector[$it-1];
#               foreach $k (1..$nvar) {
#                  printf OUT " %11.4E", $field[$it-1][$k-1];
#               }
#               print OUT "\n";
#           }
               ....


sub decode() {

# this routine should decode the $record where there are a series of
# $nt decimal fractions in the first part of the string 
# (5*$nt characters),and exponents in the last decimal fractions are
# written as 5-digit integers, and must be multiplied by 10.**(-5),
# negative exponents are coded as 2-digit odd numbers, while positive
# exponents are even numbers
# 12345...01... where 01 are characters $nt*5 and $nt*5+1 will give
# 1.234E-01

   my $record = shift();
   my $nt = shift();
   my $val_missing = shift();

   $lmina = 0;
   $lminb = 5 * $nt;
   foreach $it (1..$nt) {
       
#
#   for each of the $nts...
#
      $ia = substr($record,$lmina,5);
      $ib = substr($record,$lminb,2);
#      
#  I'll set ia and ib  to be certain substrings of $record 
#
      if ($ia ==  0 and $ib == 99) {
         $values[$it-1] = $val_missing;
         
         
#
#   if $ia is exactly zero, and $ib is exactly 99, set $values[$it-1] to $val_missing.
#
      } else {
 
         $x1 = $ia  * 10.**(-5);
#
#   otherwise, set $x1 to $ia times 10 to the negative fifth power.
#
         if (($ib % 2) == 0) {
            $x2 = 10.**($ib/2);
         } else {
            $x2 = 10.**(-($ib+1)/2);
         }
#
#   if $ib is evenly divisible by two, set $x2 to 
#   10 to the (half of $ib'th) power,
#   otherwise, set $x2 to the negative (half of $ib'th+1) power.
#
         $values[$it-1] = $x1 * $x2;
         
#
#   set $values [$it-1] to the sum of $x1 and $x2.
#
      }
      $lmina = $lmina + 5;
      $lminb = $lminb + 2;
      
#   increase the position of $lmina and $lminb.      
   }
   return @values;
}