def getFormat( self ) :
    """Checks if self has a getFormat method. If it does not, then None is returned. If it does then: 
    1) if getFormat returns a string or None then it is returned else getFormat must return an 
    integer, n1. If n1 is 12 (default for legacy ENDL) then None is returned else returns string 
    '%n1.n2e' where n2 = n1 - 7."""

    try :
        format = self.getFormat( )
        if( ( format is None ) or ( type( format ) == type( '' ) ) ) : return( format )
        if( format == 12 ) :
            format = None
        else :
            format = '%%%d.%de' % ( format, format - 7 )
    except :
        format = None
    return( format )