Last modified: 4 May 2016
Tool Name: h5format_convert

Syntax:
h5format_convert [OPTIONS] file_name

Purpose:
Converts the layout format version and chunked indexing types of datasets created with a 1.10.x version of the library so that applications built with a 1.8.x version of the library can access these datasets.

Motivation:
When datasets are created in a 1.10.x HDF5 file accessed with the latest format, the library will use the latest layout format version for the datasets. This will allow users to take advantage of new features such as virtual storage and the latest index types for chunked datasets. However, applications built with 1.8.x versions of the library will not be able to access these datasets.

Description:
When run, the tool will investigate datasets in the file file_name. It will convert datasets as follows:

  1. A chunked dataset: convert the chunk indexing type to version 1 B-tree if the type is not already a version 1 B-tree
  2. A compact or contiguous dataset: downgrade the layout version to 3 if the layout version is not already version 3
  3. A virtual dataset: no action

If errors are encountered, no further conversion will be performed, and the tool will exit with failure.


Options and Parameters:
Options:
Short and Long Forms Comments
-h
--help		 The tool will print a usage message and exit with success.
-V
--version		 The tool will print the version # and exit with success.
-v
--verbose		 This will enable the verbose mode. The tool will print the steps being done while converting a dataset.
-d dataset_name
--dname=dataset_name
                         		 This is the name including its path of the dataset to be converted (the links from the root group to the dataset). If no conversion is needed, the tool will exit with success. Only one dataset can be specified with this option each time the tool is run. If this option is not used, the tool will attempt to convert every dataset in file_name.
-n
--noop		 Noop is short for no operation. The file will not be modified. The tool will perform all the steps except the actual conversion and exit with success. When errors are encountered along the way, the tool will exit with failure.

Parameter:
file_name
                          		The name of the file that the tool will operate on.

See Also:
HDF5 File Format Specification

History:
Release     Change
1.10.0 Tool introduced in this release.