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| HDF5 Last Updated on 2026-03-23 The HDF5 Field Guide

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The HDF5 API

Navigate back: Main / Getting Started with HDF5 / Learning the Basics

# 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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Navigate back: Main / Getting Started with HDF5 / Learning the Basics