Chapter 15

HDF Command-line Utilities

15.1 Chapter Overview

This chapter describes a number of command-line utilities that are available for working with HDF files.

The HDF command-line utilities are application programs that are executed from the UNIX shell prompt. These utilities serve the following needs of the HDF developer.

They make it possible to perform, at the command line level, common operations on HDF files without having to resort to custom-programmed utilities to do these operations.
They provide the capability for performing operations on HDF files that would be very difficult to do with custom-programmed utilities.

Table 15A lists the names and descriptions of the utilities described in this chapter.

TABLE 15A - The HDF Command-line Utilities

Utility Type Name Description

File content
display tools

hdp Also known as HDF dumper. Displays general information about the contents of an HDF file (Section 15.2 on page 412)

vshow Displays vset information (Section 15.3 on page 416)

Raw data to HDF conversions

fp2hdf Converts floating-point data to HDF floating-point format and/or HDF 8-bit raster image format (RIS8) (Section 15.4 on page 416)

r8tohdf Converts one or more 8-bit raster images in raw format to the HDF RIS8 format and writes them to a file, optionally with palettes (Section 15.5 on page 419)

r24hdf8 Converts raw RGB 24-bit images to an RIS8 with a palette (Section 15.6 on page 420)

paltohdf Converts a raw palette to the HDF format (Section 15.7 on page 421)

HDF to raw data conversions

hdftor8 Converts raster images and/or palettes from the HDF format to the raw format and stores them in two sets of files - one for images and the other for palettes (Section 15.8 on page 421)

hdftopal Converts a palette in an HDF file to a raw palette format (Section 15.9 on page 422)

Raster 8 and 24 image operations

ristosds Converts a set of RIS8 HDF files into a single three-dimensional SDS HDF file (Section 15.10 on page 422)

hdf24hdf8 Converting an RIS24 HDF image to an RIS8 HDF image with a 256-color palette (Section 15.11 on page 423)

hdfcomp Compresses 8-bit raster images from an HDF file, storing them in a new HDF file (Section 15.12 on page 423)

HDF file
maintenance operations

hdfpack Compresses an HDF file, reading all of the objects in the file and writing them to a new HDF file (Section 15.13 on page 424)

vmake Creates vsets (Section 15.14 on page 425)

Miscellaneous utilities

hdfls Displays information about HDF data onjects (Section 15.15 on page 425)

hdfed Displays the contents of an HDF file and allows limited manipulation of the data (Section 15.16 on page 427)

HDF5 to HDF4 file conversion

h5toh4 Converts HDF5 files to HDF4 files (Utility is not included in this HDF distribution and requires HDF5 library) (Section 15.17 on page 437)

User-contributed utilities

Dozens of user-contributed utilites (Section 15.18 on page 437)

Utility Type	Name	Description
File content display tools	hdp	Also known as HDF dumper. Displays general information about the contents of an HDF file (Section 15.2 on page 412)
vshow	Displays vset information (Section 15.3 on page 416)
Raw data to HDF conversions	fp2hdf	Converts floating-point data to HDF floating-point format and/or HDF 8-bit raster image format (RIS8) (Section 15.4 on page 416)
r8tohdf	Converts one or more 8-bit raster images in raw format to the HDF RIS8 format and writes them to a file, optionally with palettes (Section 15.5 on page 419)
r24hdf8	Converts raw RGB 24-bit images to an RIS8 with a palette (Section 15.6 on page 420)
paltohdf	Converts a raw palette to the HDF format (Section 15.7 on page 421)
HDF to raw data conversions	hdftor8	Converts raster images and/or palettes from the HDF format to the raw format and stores them in two sets of files - one for images and the other for palettes (Section 15.8 on page 421)
hdftopal	Converts a palette in an HDF file to a raw palette format (Section 15.9 on page 422)
Raster 8 and 24 image operations	ristosds	Converts a set of RIS8 HDF files into a single three-dimensional SDS HDF file (Section 15.10 on page 422)
hdf24hdf8	Converting an RIS24 HDF image to an RIS8 HDF image with a 256-color palette (Section 15.11 on page 423)
hdfcomp	Compresses 8-bit raster images from an HDF file, storing them in a new HDF file (Section 15.12 on page 423)
HDF file maintenance operations	hdfpack	Compresses an HDF file, reading all of the objects in the file and writing them to a new HDF file (Section 15.13 on page 424)
vmake	Creates vsets (Section 15.14 on page 425)
Miscellaneous utilities	hdfls	Displays information about HDF data onjects (Section 15.15 on page 425)
hdfed	Displays the contents of an HDF file and allows limited manipulation of the data (Section 15.16 on page 427)
HDF5 to HDF4 file conversion	h5toh4	Converts HDF5 files to HDF4 files (Utility is not included in this HDF distribution and requires HDF5 library) (Section 15.17 on page 437)
User-contributed utilities	Dozens of user-contributed utilites (Section 15.18 on page 437)

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