The JHDF5 API

HDF5 is an efficient, well-documented, non-proprietary binary data format and library developed and maintained by the HDF Group. JHDF5 is a high-level API in Java for reading and writing HDF5 files, building on the libraries provided by the HDF Group.

## Classes to get started

In order to get started with the API, see the `HDF5Factory` class.

For simple standard use, have a look at `IHDF5SimpleWriter` interface for read-write access and the `IHDF5SimpleReader` interface for read-only access.

If you need to perform advanced operations, see the `IHDF5Writer` interface for read-write access and the `IHDF5Reader` interface for read-only access.

## Examples

A simple use case is writing a `float[]` to an HDF5 file and reading it again:

        IHDF5SimpleWriter writer = HDF5Factory.open("myfile.h5");
        float[] mydata = new float[1000];
        ...<fill mydata>>...
        writer.write("mydata", f);
        writer.close()
        ...
        IHDF5SimpleReader reader = HDF5Factory.openForReading("myfile.h5");
        float[] mydata = reader.readFloatArray("mydata");
        ...<use mydata>...
        reader.close();

For a working minimal program, see this example.

### Other example programs:

- Simple compound data set example
- Example showing some alternatives on writing and reading compound data sets
- Example for using an enum data set
- Example for using attributes
- Example for reading and writing large matrices block-wise
- Example for browsing an HDF5 file

See also the PDF documentation.