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HDF5 C API

The HDF5 library provides several interfaces, or APIs. These APIs provide routines for creating, accessing, and manipulating HDF5 files and objects.

The library itself is implemented in C. To facilitate the work of FORTRAN 90, C++ and Java programmers, HDF5 function wrappers have been developed in each of these languages. This tutorial discusses the use of the C functions and the FORTRAN wrappers.

All C routines in the HDF5 library begin with a prefix of the form H5*, where * is one or two uppercase letters indicating the type of object on which the function operates. The FORTRAN wrappers come in the form of subroutines that begin with h5 and end with _f. Java routine names begin with “H5*” and are prefixed with “H5.” as the class. Constants are in the HDF5Constants class and are prefixed with "HDF5Constants.". The APIs are listed below:

API	DESCRIPTION
HDF5 Library and Programming Model	Library Functions: general-purpose H5 functions
HDF5 Attributes	Annotation Interface: attribute access and manipulation routines
HDF5 Datasets	Dataset Interface: dataset access and manipulation routines
HDF5 Error Handling	Error Interface: error handling routines
HDF5 File	File Interface: file access routines
HDF5 Groups	Group Interface: group creation and operation routines
HDF5 Identifiers	Identifier Interface: identifier routines
HDF5 Links	Link Interface: link routines
HDF5 Objects	Object Interface: object routines
Properties and Property Lists in HDF5	Property List Interface: object property list manipulation routines
HDF5 References	Reference Interface: reference routines
Dataspaces and Partial I/O	Dataspace Interface: dataspace definition and access routines
HDF5 Datatypes	Datatype Interface: datatype creation and manipulation routines
HDF5 Filters	Compression Interface: compression routine(s)

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