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Contents:
What is a Property and Property List?
In HDF5, a property or property list is a characteristic or feature associated with an HDF5 object. There are default properties which handle the most common needs. These default properties are specified by passing in H5P_DEFAULT for the Property List parameter of a function. Default properties can be modified by use of the Property List interface and function parameters.
The Property List API allows a user to take advantage of the more powerful features in HDF5. It typically supports unusual cases when creating or accessing HDF5 objects. There is a programming model for working with Property Lists in HDF5.
For examples of modifying a property list, see these tutorial topics:
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Dataset Storage Layout: Contiguous, Chunked, Compact
Creating an Extendible Dataset
Creating a Compressed Dataset
There are many Property Lists associated with creating and accessing objects in HDF5. See the Property List Interface documentation in the HDF5 Reference Manual for a list of the different properties associated with HDF5 interfaces.
In Summary:
Properties are features of HDF5 objects, that can be changed by use of the Property List API and function parameters. Property lists provide a mechanism for adding functionality to HDF5 calls without increasing the number of arguments used for a given call. The Property List API supports unusual cases when creating and accessing HDF5 objects. |
Programming Model
Default properties are specified by simply passing inH5P_DEFAULT
(C) / H5P_DEFAULT_F
(F90) for
the property list parameter in those functions for which
properties can be changed.
The programming model for changing a property list is as follows:
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Create a copy or "instance" of the desired pre-defined property type, using the H5Pcreate (C) / h5pcreate_f (F90) call. This will return a property list identifier. Please see the Reference Manual entry for H5Pcreate (C) / h5pcreate_f (F90), for a comprehensive list of the property types.
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With the property list identifier, modify the property, using the H5P APIs.
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Modify the object feature, by passing the property list identifier into the corresponding HDF5 object function.
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Close the property list when done, using H5Pclose (C) / h5pclose_f (F90).
- - Last modified: 21 December 2016