2.2.1. Example NeXus C programs using native HDF5 commands

C-language code examples are provided for writing and reading NeXus-compliant files using the native HDF5 interfaces. These examples are derived from the simple NAPI examples for writing and reading given in the Introduction chapter. Compare these code examples with Example NeXus programs using NAPI.

2.2.1.1. Writing a simple NeXus file using native HDF5 commands in C

/**
 * This is an example how to write a valid NeXus file
 * using the HDF-5 API alone. Ths structure which is 
 * going to be created is:
 *
 * scan:NXentry
 *      data:NXdata
 *         counts[]
 *            @signal=1
 *         two_theta[]
 *            @units=degrees
 *
 *  WARNING: each of the HDF function below needs to be 
 *  wrapped into something like:
 *
 *  if((hdfid = H5function(...)) < 0){
 *     handle error gracefully  
 *  }  
 *  I left the error checking out in order to keep the 
 *  code clearer
 * 
 *  This also installs a link from /scan/data/two_theta to /scan/hugo
 * 
 *  Mark Koennecke, October 2011
 */
#include <hdf5.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>

#define LENGTH 400
int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
  float two_theta[LENGTH];
  int counts[LENGTH], i, rank, signal;

  /* HDF-5 handles */
  hid_t fid, fapl, gid, atts, atttype, attid;
  hid_t datatype, dataspace, dataprop, dataid;
  hsize_t dim[1], maxdim[1];


  /* create some data: nothing NeXus or HDF-5 specific */
  for(i = 0; i < LENGTH; i++){
    two_theta[i] = 10. + .1*i;
    counts[i] = (int)(1000 * ((float)random()/(float)RAND_MAX));
  }
  dim[0] = LENGTH;
  maxdim[0] = LENGTH;
  rank = 1;


 
  /*
   * open the file. The file attribute forces normal file 
   * closing behaviour down HDF-5's throat
   */
  fapl = H5Pcreate(H5P_FILE_ACCESS);
  H5Pset_fclose_degree(fapl,H5F_CLOSE_STRONG);
  fid = H5Fcreate("NXfile.h5", H5F_ACC_TRUNC, H5P_DEFAULT,fapl);  
  H5Pclose(fapl);


  /*
   * create scan:NXentry
   */
  gid = H5Gcreate(fid, (const char *)"scan",0);
  /*
   * store the NX_class attribute. Notice that you
   * have to take care to close those hids after use
   */
  atts = H5Screate(H5S_SCALAR);
  atttype = H5Tcopy(H5T_C_S1);
  H5Tset_size(atttype, strlen("NXentry"));
  attid = H5Acreate(gid,"NX_class", atttype, atts, H5P_DEFAULT);
  H5Awrite(attid, atttype, (char *)"NXentry");
  H5Sclose(atts);
  H5Tclose(atttype);
  H5Aclose(attid);

  /*
   * same thing for data:Nxdata in scan:NXentry.
   * A subroutine would be nice to have here.......
   */
  gid = H5Gcreate(fid, (const char *)"/scan/data",0);
  atts = H5Screate(H5S_SCALAR);
  atttype = H5Tcopy(H5T_C_S1);
  H5Tset_size(atttype, strlen("NXdata"));
  attid = H5Acreate(gid,"NX_class", atttype, atts, H5P_DEFAULT);
  H5Awrite(attid, atttype, (char *)"NXdata");
  H5Sclose(atts);
  H5Tclose(atttype);
  H5Aclose(attid);

  /*
   * store the counts dataset
   */
  dataspace = H5Screate_simple(rank,dim,maxdim);
  datatype = H5Tcopy(H5T_NATIVE_INT);  
  dataprop = H5Pcreate(H5P_DATASET_CREATE);
  dataid = H5Dcreate(gid,(char *)"counts",datatype,dataspace,dataprop);
  H5Dwrite(dataid, datatype, H5S_ALL, H5S_ALL, H5P_DEFAULT, counts);
  H5Sclose(dataspace);
  H5Tclose(datatype);
  H5Pclose(dataprop);  
  /*
   * set the signal=1 attribute 
   */
  atts = H5Screate(H5S_SCALAR);
  atttype = H5Tcopy(H5T_NATIVE_INT);
  H5Tset_size(atttype,1);
  attid = H5Acreate(dataid,"signal", atttype, atts, H5P_DEFAULT);
  signal = 1;
  H5Awrite(attid, atttype, &signal);
  H5Sclose(atts);
  H5Tclose(atttype);
  H5Aclose(attid);

  H5Dclose(dataid);

  /*
   * store the two_theta dataset
   */
  dataspace = H5Screate_simple(rank,dim,maxdim);
  datatype = H5Tcopy(H5T_NATIVE_FLOAT);  
  dataprop = H5Pcreate(H5P_DATASET_CREATE);
  dataid = H5Dcreate(gid,(char *)"two_theta",datatype,dataspace,dataprop);
  H5Dwrite(dataid, datatype, H5S_ALL, H5S_ALL, H5P_DEFAULT, two_theta);
  H5Sclose(dataspace);
  H5Tclose(datatype);
  H5Pclose(dataprop);  

  /*
   * set the units attribute
   */
  atttype = H5Tcopy(H5T_C_S1);
  H5Tset_size(atttype, strlen("degrees"));
  atts = H5Screate(H5S_SCALAR);
  attid = H5Acreate(dataid,"units", atttype, atts, H5P_DEFAULT);
  H5Awrite(attid, atttype, (char *)"degrees");
  H5Sclose(atts);
  H5Tclose(atttype);
  H5Aclose(attid);
 /*
   * set the target attribute for linking
   */
  atttype = H5Tcopy(H5T_C_S1);
  H5Tset_size(atttype, strlen("/scan/data/two_theta"));
  atts = H5Screate(H5S_SCALAR);
  attid = H5Acreate(dataid,"target", atttype, atts, H5P_DEFAULT);
  H5Awrite(attid, atttype, (char *)"/scan/data/two_theta");
  H5Sclose(atts);
  H5Tclose(atttype);
  H5Aclose(attid);


  H5Dclose(dataid);

  /*
   * make a link in /scan to /scan/data/two_theta, thereby 
   * renaming two_theta to hugo
   */
  H5Glink(fid,H5G_LINK_HARD,"/scan/data/two_theta","/scan/hugo");

  /*
   * close the file 
   */
  H5Fclose(fid);
}

2.2.1.2. Reading a simple NeXus file using native HDF5 commands in C

/**
 * Reading example for reading NeXus files with plain
 * HDF-5 API calls. This reads out counts and two_theta
 * out of the file generated by nxh5write.
 *
 * WARNING: I left out all error checking in this example.
 * In production code you have to take care of those errors
 *
 * Mark Koennecke, October 2011
 */
#include <hdf5.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
  float *two_theta = NULL;
  int *counts = NULL,  rank, i;
  hid_t fid, dataid, fapl;
  hsize_t *dim = NULL;
  hid_t datatype, dataspace, memdataspace;

  /*
   * Open file, thereby enforcing proper file close
   * semantics
   */
  fapl = H5Pcreate(H5P_FILE_ACCESS);
  H5Pset_fclose_degree(fapl,H5F_CLOSE_STRONG);
  fid = H5Fopen("NXfile.h5", H5F_ACC_RDONLY,fapl);  
  H5Pclose(fapl);

  /*
   * open and read the counts dataset
   */
  dataid = H5Dopen(fid,"/scan/data/counts");
  dataspace = H5Dget_space(dataid);
  rank = H5Sget_simple_extent_ndims(dataspace);
  dim = malloc(rank*sizeof(hsize_t));
  H5Sget_simple_extent_dims(dataspace, dim, NULL);
  counts = malloc(dim[0]*sizeof(int));
  memdataspace = H5Tcopy(H5T_NATIVE_INT32);
  H5Dread(dataid,memdataspace,H5S_ALL, H5S_ALL,H5P_DEFAULT, counts);
  H5Dclose(dataid);
  H5Sclose(dataspace);
  H5Tclose(memdataspace);

  /*
   * open and read the two_theta data set
   */
  dataid = H5Dopen(fid,"/scan/data/two_theta");
  dataspace = H5Dget_space(dataid);
  rank = H5Sget_simple_extent_ndims(dataspace);
  dim = malloc(rank*sizeof(hsize_t));
  H5Sget_simple_extent_dims(dataspace, dim, NULL);
  two_theta = malloc(dim[0]*sizeof(float));
  memdataspace = H5Tcopy(H5T_NATIVE_FLOAT);
  H5Dread(dataid,memdataspace,H5S_ALL, H5S_ALL,H5P_DEFAULT, two_theta);
  H5Dclose(dataid);
  H5Sclose(dataspace);
  H5Tclose(memdataspace);



  H5Fclose(fid);

  for(i = 0; i < dim[0]; i++){
    printf("%8.2f %10d\n", two_theta[i], counts[i]);
  }
  
}