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HDF5 API Specification
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<h1>HDF5: API Specification<br>Reference Manual</h1>
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The HDF5 library provides several interfaces, each of which provides the
tools required to meet specific aspects of the HDF5 data-handling requirements.
<p>
See <a href="#F90andCPPlus">below</a> for the FORTRAN90 and C++ APIs.
<p>
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<table border=0>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5.html">Library Functions</a>
</td><td> </td><td valign=top>The general-purpose <strong>H5</strong> functions.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5A.html">Attribute Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5A</strong> API for attributes.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5D.html">Dataset Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5D</strong> API for manipulating scientific datasets.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5E.html">Error Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5E</strong> API for error handling.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5F.html">File Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5F</strong> API for accessing HDF files.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5G.html">Group Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5G</strong> API for creating physical groups of objects on disk.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5I.html">Identifier Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5I</strong> API for working with object identifiers.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5P.html">Property List Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5P</strong> API for manipulating object property lists.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5R.html">Reference Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5R</strong> API for references.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5S.html">Dataspace Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5S</strong> API for defining dataset dataspace.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5T.html">Datatype Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5T</strong> API for defining dataset element information.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="RM_H5Z.html">Compression Interface</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>The <strong>H5Z</strong> API for compression.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="Tools.html">Tools</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>Interactive tools for the examination of existing HDF5 files.
</td></tr>
<tr><td valign=top><a href="PredefDTypes.html">Predefined Datatypes</a>
</td><td></td><td valign=top>Predefined datatypes in HDF5.
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</td><td></td><td valign=top>A glossary of data-types used in the APIs.
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<tr><td valign=top><hr noshade size=1><b>Ragged Arrays</b>
</td><td></td><td valign=top><hr noshade size=1>The <strong>H5RA</strong> API for ragged arrays was removed from the HDF5 library at Release 1.4.
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<a name="F90andCPPlus">
<hr>
<p align=right>To top of <a href="#TopofRM"><cite>Reference Manual</cite></a>.
<h3>The Fortran90 and C++ APIs to HDF5</h3>
</a>
The HDF5 Library distribution now includes FORTRAN90 and C++ APIs.
These APIs are described in the following documents.
<p>
<strong>Fortran90 API</strong>
<dir>
<a href="fortran/F90UserNotes.html" target="External">
<cite>HDF5 FORTRAN90 User's Notes</cite></a>
contains general information regarding the API.
Specific information on each API call is found in the
<cite>Reference Manual</cite>.
<p>
<u>Fortran90 APIs in the <cite>Reference Manual</cite>:</u>
The current version of the <cite>HDF5 Reference Manual</cite> includes
a description of the FORTRAN90 API to HDF5.
Fortran subroutines exist in the H5A, H5D, H5E, H5F, H5G, H5I, H5P,
H5R, H5S, and H5T interfaces and are described on those pages.
<p>
In general, each Fortran subroutine performs exactly the same task
as the corresponding C function. The links at the top of each reference
manual section go to the C function descriptions, which serve as general
descriptions for both the C and Fortran APIs. A button, under
<strong>Non-C API(s)</strong> at the end of the C function description,
opens an external browser window displaying the Fortran-specific
information. You will probably want to adjust the size and location of
this external window so that both browser windows are visible and to
facilitate moving easily between them.
<p>
<a href="fortran/F90Flags.html" target="External">
<cite>HDF5 Fortran90 Flags and Datatypes</cite></a>
lists the flags employed in the Fortran90 interface and
contains a pointer to the HDF5 Fortran90 datatypes.
</dir>
<strong>C++ API</strong>
<dir>
<a href="cpplus/CppUserNotes.pdf" target="External">
<cite>HDF5 C++ User's Notes</cite></a>
<p>
<a href="cpplus/CppInterfaces.html" target="External">
<cite>HDF5 C++ Interfaces</cite></a>
<p>
(Note that the C++ APIs are not yet integrated into the
<cite>HDF5 Reference Manual</cite>.)
</dir>
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<a href="mailto:hdfhelp@ncsa.uiuc.edu">HDF Help Desk</a>
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Last modified: 2 April 2001
<br>
Describes HDF5 Release 1.4.4, July 2002
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