HDF User Guide

HDF Release 4.2.16

The HDF Group

Introduction to HDF

• Chapter Overview
• What is HDF?
• Why Was HDF Created?
• High-Level HDF APIs
• HDF Command-Line Utilities and Visualization Tools
• Primary HDF Platforms
• HDF4 versus HDF5

HDF Fundamentals

• Chapter Overview
• HDF File Format
  • File Header
  • Data Object
  • Data Descriptor Block
  • Grouping Data Objects in an HDF File
• Basic Operations on HDF Files Using the Multifile Interfaces
  • File Identifiers
  • Opening HDF Files: Hopen
  • Closing HDF Files: Hclose
  • Getting the HDF Library and File Versions: Hgetlibversion and Hgetfileversion
• Determining whether a File Is an HDF File: Hishdf/hishdff
• Programming Issues
  • Header File Information
  • HDF Definitions
  • FORTRAN-77 and C Language Issues

Scientific Data Sets (SD API)

• subsec_sdapi_overview
• subsec_sdapi_data_model
  • subsubsec_sdapi_data_model_req
  • subsubsec_sdapi_data_model_opt
  • subsubsec_sdapi_data_model_annot
• subsec_sdapi_interface
  • subsubsec_sdapi_interface_head
  • subsubsec_sdapi_interface_lib
  • subsubsec_sdapi_interface_tags
• subsec_sdapi_model
  • subsubsec_sdapi_model_start
  • subsubsec_sdapi_model_term
• subsec_sdapi_write
  • subsubsec_sdapi_write_data
  • subsubsec_sdapi_write_comp
  • subsubsec_sdapi_write_ext
• subsec_sdapi_read
• subsec_sdapi_info
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_file
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_get
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_comp
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_locate
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_multi
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_num
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_index
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_ref
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_type
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_empty
  • subsubsec_sdapi_info_array
• subsec_sdapi_dims
  • subsubsec_sdapi_dims_set
  • subsubsec_sdapi_dims_name
  • subsubsec_sdapi_dims_dims
  • subsubsec_sdapi_dims_dimscale
  • subsubsec_sdapi_dims_data
• subsec_sdapi_ud
  • subsubsec_sdapi_ud_set
  • subsubsec_sdapi_ud_info
  • subsubsec_sdapi_ud_read
• subsec_sdapi_predef
  • subsubsec_sdapi_predef_get
  • subsubsec_sdapi_predef_string
  • subsubsec_sdapi_predef_dims
  • subsubsec_sdapi_predef_range
  • subsubsec_sdapi_predef_fill
  • subsubsec_sdapi_predef_cal
• subsec_sdapi_ops
  • subsubsec_sdapi_ops_file
  • subsubsec_sdapi_ops_object
  • subsubsec_sdapi_ops_max
  • subsubsec_sdapi_ops_limits
  • subsubsec_sdapi_ops_open
  • subsubsec_sdapi_ops_array
• subsec_sdapi_chunk
  • subsubsec_sdapi_chunk_set
  • subsubsec_sdapi_chunk_cache
  • subsubsec_sdapi_chunk_write
  • subsubsec_sdapi_chunk_read
  • subsubsec_sdapi_chunk_info
• subsec_sdapi_ghost
• subsec_sdapi_cdf
  • subsubsec_sdapi_cdf_interface
  • subsubsec_sdapi_cdf_nc

Vdatas (VS API)

• subsec_vsapi_overview
• subsec_vsapi_data_model
  • subsubsec_vsapi_data_model_fields
• subsec_vsapi_interface
  • subsubsec_vsapi_interface_head
  • subsubsec_vsapi_interface_lib
  • subsubsec_vsapi_interface_ids
  • subsubsec_vsapi_interface_model
  • subsubsec_vsapi_interface_start
  • subsubsec_vsapi_interface_term
• subsec_vsapi_create
• subsec_vsapi_write
  • subsubsec_vsapi_write_create
  • subsubsec_vsapi_write_data
• subsec_vsapi_read
  • subsubsec_vsapi_read_init
  • subsubsec_vsapi_read_data
• subsec_vsapi_search
  • subsubsec_vsapi_search_find
  • subsubsec_vsapi_search_getid
  • subsubsec_vsapi_search_num
  • subsubsec_vsapi_search_exist
  • subsubsec_vsapi_search_get
  • subsubsec_vsapi_search_internal
  • subsubsec_vsapi_search_file
• subsec_vsapi_attr
  • subsubsec_vsapi_attr_query
  • subsubsec_vsapi_attr_set
  • subsubsec_vsapi_attr_get
  • subsubsec_vsapi_attr_total_num
  • subsubsec_vsapi_attr_num
  • subsubsec_vsapi_attr_find
  • subsubsec_vsapi_attr_info
  • subsubsec_vsapi_attr_isattr
• subsec_vsapi_info
  • subsubsec_vsapi_info_inquire
  • subsubsec_vsapi_info_getblock
  • subsubsec_vsapi_info_query
  • subsubsec_vsapi_info_other
  • subsubsec_vsapi_info_field

Vgroups (V API)

• subsec_vapi_overview
• subsec_vapi_data_model
  • subsubsec_data_model_class
  • subsubsec_data_model_org
  • subsubsec_data_model_ex
• subsec_vapi_interface
  • subsubsec_vapi_interface_lib
  • subsubsec_vapi_interface_id
• subsec_vapi_model
  • subsubsec_vapi_model_start
  • subsubsec_vapi_model_term
• subsec_vapi_write
  • subsubsec_vapi_write_set
  • subsubsec_vapi_write_add
  • subsubsec_vapi_write_insert
  • subsubsec_vapi_write_group
• subsec_vapi_read
  • subsubsec_vapi_read_locate
  • subsubsec_vapi_read_data
• subsec_vapi_delete
  • subsubsec_vapi_delete_file
  • subsubsec_vapi_delete_obj
• subsec_vapi_attr
  • subsubsec_vapi_attr_getvers
  • subsubsec_vapi_attr_set
  • subsubsec_vapi_attr_find
  • subsubsec_vapi_attr_num
  • subsubsec_vapi_attr_info1
  • subsubsec_vapi_attr_info2
  • subsubsec_vapi_attr_get1
  • subsubsec_vapi_attr_get2
• subsec_vapi_obsolete
  • subsubsec_vapi_obsolete_next
  • subsubsec_vapi_obsolete_inquire

8-Bit Raster Images (DFR8 API)

• subsec_dfr8api_overview
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_overview_req
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_overview_opt
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_overview_comp
• subsec_dfr8api_interface
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_interface_lib
• subsec_dfr8api_write
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_write_store
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_write_add
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_write_comp
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_write_ref
• subsec_dfr8api_read
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_read_data
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_read_query
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_read_ref
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_read_next
• subsec_dfr8api_info
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_info_query
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_info_ref
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_info_refpal
• subsec_dfr8api_back
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_back_long_name
  • subsubsec_dfr8api_back_new_tag

sec_df24api

• subsec_df24api_overview
• subsec_df24api_data_model
  • subsubsec_df24api_data_model_req
  • subsubsec_df24api_data_model_opt
• subsec_df24api_interface
  • subsubsec_df24api_interface_lib
• subsec_df24api_write
  • subsubsec_df24api_write_put
  • subsubsec_df24api_write_set
  • subsubsec_df24api_write_comp
• subsec_df24api_read
  • subsubsec_df24api_read_data
  • subsubsec_df24api_read_dims
  • subsubsec_df24api_read_mod
  • subsubsec_df24api_read_24
  • subsubsec_df24api_read_info
• subsec_df24api_info
  • subsubsec_df24api_info_num
  • subsubsec_df24api_info_ref

General Raster Images (GR API)

• subsec_grapi_overview
• subsec_grapi_data_model
  • subsubsec_grapi_data_model_req
  • subsubsec_grapi_data_model_opt
• subsec_grapi_interface
  • subsubsec_lib
• subsec_grapi_head
• subsec_grapi_model
  • subsubsec_grapi_model_start
  • subsubsec_grapi_model_term
• subsec_grapi_write
  • subsubsec_grapi_write_data
  • subsubsec_grapi_write_comp
  • subsubsec_grapi_write_set
  • subsubsec_grapi_write_ext
• subsec_grapi_read
  • subsubsec_grapi_read_data
  • subsubsec_grapi_read_set
• subsec_grapi_diff
• subsec_grapi_info
  • subsubsec_grapi_info_file
  • subsubsec_grapi_info_getim
  • subsubsec_grapi_info_idtoref
  • subsubsec_grapi_info_reftoindex
  • subsubsec_grapi_info_nametoindex
  • subsubsec_grapi_info_getcomp
  • subsubsec_grapi_info_bemap
• subsec_grapi_attr
  • subsubsec_grapi_attr_predefine
  • subsubsec_grapi_attr_set
  • subsubsec_grapi_attr_query
  • subsubsec_grapi_attr_read
• subsec_grapi_data
  • subsubsec_grapi_data_getlutid
  • subsubsec_grapi_data_getnluts
  • subsubsec_grapi_data_luttoref
  • subsubsec_grapi_data_getlutinfo
  • subsubsec_grapi_data_writelut
  • subsubsec_grapi_data_reqlut
  • subsubsec_grapi_data_readlut
• subsec_grapi_image
  • subsubsec_grapi_image_diff
  • subsubsec_grapi_image_setchunk
  • subsubsec_grapi_image_writechunk
  • subsubsec_grapi_image_readchunk
  • subsubsec_grapi_image_getchunk
  • subsubsec_grapi_image_chunkcache

Palettes (DFP API)

• subsec_dfpapi_overview
• subsec_dfpapi_model
• subsec_dfpapi_api
  • subsubsec_dfpapi_api_lib
• subsec_dfpapi_write
  • subsubsec_dfpapi_write_pal
  • subsubsec_dfpapi_write_ref
• subsec_dfpapi_read
  • subsubsec_dfpapi_read_get
  • subsubsec_dfpapi_read_ref
  • subsubsec_dfpapi_read_next
• subsec_dfpapi_other
  • subsubsec_dfpapi_other_query
  • subsubsec_dfpapi_other_num
• subsec_dfpapi_back

Annotations (AN API)

• subsec_anapi_overview
• subsec_anapi_model
  • subsubsec_anapi_model_desc
  • subsubsec_anapi_model_file
  • subsubsec_anapi_model_object
  • subsubsec_anapi_model_term
• subsec_anapi_interface
  • subsubsec_anapi_interface_lib
  • subsubsec_anapi_interface_type
  • subsubsec_anapi_interface_model
  • subsubsec_anapi_interface_access
  • subsubsec_anapi_interface_term
• subsec_anapi_write
• subsec_anapi_read
  • subsubsec_anapi_read_select
  • subsubsec_anapi_read_read
• subsec_anapi_info
  • subsubsec_anapi_info_num
  • subsubsec_anapi_info_len
  • subsubsec_anapi_info_type_num
  • subsubsec_anapi_info_list
  • subsubsec_anapi_info_tag
  • subsubsec_anapi_info_tag_ref
  • subsubsec_anapi_info_id
  • subsubsec_anapi_info_tag_type
  • subsubsec_anapi_info_obj

Single-file Annotations (DFAN API)

• subsec_dfanapi_overview
• subsec_dfanapi_interface
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_interface_lib
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_interface_tags
• subsec_dfanapi_model
• subsec_dfanapi_write
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_write_label
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_write_descr
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_write_obj_label
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_write_obj_descr
• subsec_dfanapi_read
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_read_label
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_read_descr
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_read_obj_label
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_read_obj_descr
• subsec_dfanapi_maint
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_maint_clear
• subsec_dfanapi_ref_num
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_ref_num_last
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_ref_num_query
  • subsubsec_dfanapi_ref_num_locate

Single-File Scientific Data Sets (DFSD API)

• subsec_dfsdapi_overview
• subsec_dfsdapi_model
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_model_req
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_model_opt
• subsec_dfsdapi_single
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_single_lib
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_single_ids
• subsec_dfsdapi_write
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_write_create
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_write_type
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_write_overwrite
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_write_multi
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_write_prevent
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_write_reset
• subsec_dfsdapi_read
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_read_get
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_read_type
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_read_num
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_read_ref
• subsec_dfsdapi_slabs
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_slabs_access
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_slabs_write
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_slabs_read
• subsec_dfsdapi_predine
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_predine_write
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_predine_read
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_predine_write_dims
  • subsubsec_dfsdapi_predine_read_dims

Error Reporting

• subsec_error_overview
• subsec_error_api
• subsec_error_report
  • subsubsec_error_report_print
  • subsubsec_error_report_recent
  • subsubsec_error_report_descr
  • subsubsec_error_report_clear

HDF Performance Issues

• subsec_perf_overview
• subsec_perf_enhance
  • subsubsec_perf_enhance_large
  • subsubsec_perf_enhance_share
  • subsubsec_perf_enhance_fill
  • subsubsec_perf_enhance_fake
• subsec_perf_chunk
  • subsubsec_perf_chunk_what
  • subsubsec_perf_chunk_rw
  • subsubsec_perf_chunk_nocomp
  • subsubsec_perf_chunk_compress
  • subsubsec_perf_chunk_size
  • subsubsec_perf_chunk_space
• subsec_perf_tune
  • subsubsec_perf_tune_data
  • subsubsec_perf_tune_linked
  • subsubsec_perf_tune_unlim

HDF Command-line Utilities

• subsec_utils_overview
• subsec_utils_dump
  • subsubsec_utils_dump_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_dump_cl
• subsec_utils_hdiff
  • subsubsec_utils_hdiff_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hdiff_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_hdiff_ex
• subsec_utils_vshow
  • subsubsec_utils_vshow_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_vshow_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_vshow_ex
• subsec_utils_import
  • subsubsec_utils_import_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_import_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_import_struct
• subsec_utils_r8tohdf
  • subsubsec_utils_r8tohdf_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_r8tohdf_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_r8tohdf_ex
• subsec_utils_r24df8
  • subsubsec_utils_r24df8_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_r24df8_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_r24df8_ex
• subsec_utils_paltohdf
  • subsubsec_utils_paltohdf_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_paltohdf_cl
• subsec_utils_hdftor8
  • subsubsec_utils_hdftor8_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hdftor8_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_hdftor8_ex
• subsec_utils_hdftopal
  • subsubsec_utils_hdftopal_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hdftopal_cl
• subsec_utils_ristosds
  • subsubsec_utils_ristosds_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_ristosds_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_ristosds_ex
• subsec_utils_hdf24hdf8
  • subsubsec_utils_hdf24hdf8_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hdf24hdf8_cl
• subsec_utils_hdfcomp
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfcomp_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfcomp_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfcomp_ex
• subsec_utils_hdfpack
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfpack_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfpack_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfpack_ex
• subsec_utils_hrepack
  • subsubsec_utils_hrepack_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hrepack_cl
• subsec_utils_vmake
  • subsubsec_utils_vmake_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_vmake_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_vmake_ex
• subsec_utils_hdfls
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfls_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfls_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfls_ex
• subsec_utils_hdfed
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfed_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hdfed_cl
• subsec_utils_formats
• subsec_utils_hdf2gif
  • subsubsec_utils_hdf2gif_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_hdf2gif_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_hdf2gif_struct
  • subsubsec_utils_hdf2gif_build
• subsec_utils_h4cc
  • subsubsec_utils_h4cc_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_h4cc_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_h4cc_ex
• subsec_utils_h4fc
  • subsubsec_utils_h4fc_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_h4fc_cl
  • subsubsec_utils_h4fc_ex
• subsec_utils_h4redploy
  • subsubsec_utils_h4redploy_desc
  • subsubsec_utils_h4redploy_cl

Raw Data Information

• subsec_raw_overview
• subsec_raw_retrieve
• subsec_raw_add_an
  • subsubsec_add_an_data
• subsec_raw_add_sd
  • subsubsec_add_sd_data
  • subsubsec_add_sd_attr
  • subsubsec_add_sd_dfsd
  • subsubsec_add_sd_sds
• subsec_raw_add_gr
  • subsubsec_add_gr_img
  • subsubsec_add_gr_attr
• subsec_raw_add_v
  • subsubsec_raw_add_v_data
• subsec_raw_add_vs
  • subsubsec_add_vs_data
  • subsubsec_add_vs_attr

Reserved HDF Tags

• Overview
• Tag Types and Descriptions

HDF Installation Overview

• General HDF Installation Overview
  • Acquiring the HDF Library Source
  • Building the HDF Library Source

Attributes in HDF

• Attribute Overview
• Underlying storage issues
  • Predefined Attributes in DFSD API
  • Vgroup Attribute Without Vsetattr

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