Well we missed our deadline by a couple of weeks, but I just put up
a copy of HDF 3.3 Alpha 3 on the NCSA ftp server (ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu)
in HDF/HDF3.3-ALPHA/hdf33-alpha3.tar.Z This version of HDF
integrates the hdf / netCDF prototype software with a new
'multi-file' SDS interface. In this alpha release, this
code is still a separate library.
The multi-file SDS interface and the HDF-based netCDF interface can
transparently read and modify files created by the other. In
addition, both interfaces can read XDR-based netCDF files and
'old-style' SDS files.
The following chart represents what can be done with the various
interfaces available in HDF3.3a3:
old SDS-API new SDS-API netCDF-API
old SDS CRW R R
HDF files
old netCDF - RW RW
XDR files
new netCDF - CRW CRW
HDF files
new SDS - CRW CRW
HDF files
'R' means read, 'W' means write and 'C' means create. Entries
with dashes '-' represent functionality which has not yet been
implemented.
This integration has already produced many practical benefits.
For example, I have been using netCDF tools (i.e. ncdump) to
debug HDF files. About 20 minutes of modifications have produced
a version of NCSA Collage which can read files created by netCDF
programs.
As the name implies, this is an Alpha release of the software.
If you would like to see modifications in routines or the
additions of new ones please let me know. I have tested this
on Sun4s, IBM/RS6000s and SGIs.
There are still a number of issues being worked on (a Fortran
interface for the multi-file code, using 'strides' for reading
and writing of data, etc...). But we felt it was a good idea
to get the code out so people could start banging on it.
If you use this software, please send all bug reports and
suggestions directly back to me.
-Chris Houck
HDF Group
NCSA Software Development Group
