Last modified: 28 January 2016
Tool Name: h5format_convert

Syntax:
h5format_convert [OPTIONS] file_name

Purpose:
Converts the indexing of chunked datasets from 1.10.x types to the 1.8.x version 1 B-tree indexing type.

Motivation:
The indexing possibilities of chunked datasets was expanded in 1.10.x versions of the HDF5 Library. This tool can be used to convert chunked datasets made with 1.10.x versions of the library to the 1.8.x chunked dataset index format.

Description:
When run, the tool will investigate datasets in the file file_name. The tool will convert chunked datasets whose indexing type is not version 1 B-tree to version 1 B-tree. The tool will not change any dataset that is not chunked or its indexing type is already version 1 B-tree. 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). When the dataset is not chunked or the indexing type is already version 1 B-tree, the tool will not perform any conversion and 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.