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

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

Keep the following in mind when looking at the example programs included in this tutorial:

# APIs vary with different languages

- C routines begin with the prefix “H5*” where * is a single letter indicating the object on which the operation is to be performed:

  File Interface: | H5Fopen
  Dataset Interface: | H5Dopen

- FORTRAN routines begin with “h5*” and end with “_f”:

  File Interface: | h5fopen_f
  Dataset Interface: | h5dopen_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.".:

  File Interface: | H5.H5Fopen
  Dataset Interface: | H5.H5Dopen

- APIS for languages like C++, Java, and Python use methods associated with specific objects.

# HDF5 library has its own defined types

- hid_t is used for object handles
- hsize_t is used for dimensions
- herr_t is used for many return values

# Language specific files must be included in applications

- Python:
  `import h5py
  import numpy`
- C:
  `"#include hdf5.h"`
- FORTRAN:
  `USE HDF5`
  and call h5open_f and h5close_f to initialize and close the HDF5 FORTRAN interface
- Java:
  `import hdf.hdf5lib.H5;
  import hdf.hdf5lib.HDF5Constants;`

See also
  Examples by API for examples of using the HDF5 API.

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