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1.5 NCSA HDF Command-Line Utilities and Visualization Tools

 HDF application software fall within the following three categories:

  1. The FORTRAN-77 and C APIs described in Section 1.4 on page 4.
  2. Scientific visualization and analysis tools that read and write HDF files.
  3. Command-line utilities that operate directly on HDF files.

Scientific visualization and analysis software that can read and write HDF files is available. This software includes NCSA-developed tools such as JHV (the Java-based HDF Viewer), user-developed software, and commercial packages. The use of HDF files guarantees the interoperability of such tools. Some tools operate on raster images, others on color palettes. Some use images, others color palettes, still others data and annotations, and so forth. HDF provides the range of data types that these tools need, in a format that allows different tools with different data requirements to operate on the same files without confusion.

The HDF command-line utilities are application programs that can be executed by entering them at the command prompt, like UNIX commands. They perform common operations on HDF files for which one would otherwise have to write a program. The HDF utilities are described in detail in Chapter 15, HDF Command-line Utilities.


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HDF User's Guide - 05/19/99, NCSA HDF Development Group.