HDF5 documents and links Introduction to HDF5 HDF5 User Guide | And in this document, the HDF5 Reference Manual H5 H5A H5D H5E H5F H5G H5I H5P H5R H5S H5T H5Z Tools Datatypes
(PDF of complete manual formatted as print volume)

# HDF5: API Specification
Reference Manual

The HDF5 library provides several interfaces, each of which provides the tools required to meet specific aspects of the HDF5 data-handling requirements.

See below for the FORTRAN90 and C++ APIs.

Library Functions |  | The general-purpose H5 functions.
Attribute Interface |  | The H5A API for attributes.
Dataset Interface |  | The H5D API for manipulating scientific datasets.
Error Interface |  | The H5E API for error handling.
File Interface |  | The H5F API for accessing HDF files.
Group Interface |  | The H5G API for creating physical groups of objects on disk.
Identifier Interface |  | The H5I API for working with object identifiers.
Property List Interface |  | The H5P API for manipulating object property lists.
Reference Interface |  | The H5R API for references.
Dataspace Interface |  | The H5S API for defining dataset dataspace.
Datatype Interface |  | The H5T API for defining dataset element information.
Filters and Compression Interface |  | The H5Z API for inline data filters and data compression.
Tools |  | Interactive tools for the examination of existing HDF5 files.
Predefined Datatypes |  | Predefined datatypes in HDF5.

A PDF version of this HDF5 Reference Manual will be available from `http://www.hdfgroup.org/HDF5/doc1.6/PSandPDF/` approximately one week after each release.

### The Fortran90 and C++ APIs to HDF5

The HDF5 Library distribution includes FORTRAN90 and C++ APIs, which are described in the following documents.

Fortran90 API HDF5 FORTRAN90 User's Notes contains general information regarding the API. Specific information on each API call is found in the HDF5 Reference Manual.

Fortran90 APIs in the Reference Manual: The current version of the HDF5 Reference Manual includes descriptions of the Fortran90 APIs to HDF5. Fortran subroutines exist in the H5, H5A, H5D, H5E, H5F, H5G, H5I, H5P, H5R, H5S, H5T, and H5Z interfaces and are described on those pages. In general, each Fortran subroutine performs exactly the same task as the corresponding C function.

Whereas Fortran subroutines had been described on separate pages in prior releases, those descriptions were fully integrated into the body of the reference manual for HDF5 Release 1.6.2 (and mostly so for Release 1.6.1).

HDF5 Fortran90 Flags and Datatypes lists the flags employed in the Fortran90 interface and contains a pointer to the HDF5 Fortran90 datatypes. C++ API HDF5 C++ API Reference Manual
This document supersedes all prior documentation of the C++ APIs.

HDF5 documents and links Introduction to HDF5 HDF5 User Guide | And in this document, the HDF5 Reference Manual H5 H5A H5D H5E H5F H5G H5I H5P H5R H5S H5T H5Z Tools Datatypes
(PDF of complete manual formatted as print volume)