diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'doc/html/Using.html')
| -rw-r--r-- | doc/html/Using.html | 68 |
1 files changed, 68 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/doc/html/Using.html b/doc/html/Using.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f4c8c5e --- /dev/null +++ b/doc/html/Using.html @@ -0,0 +1,68 @@ +<html> + <head> + <title>Using FlexIO</title> + </head> + <body bgcolor="#F0F0F0"> + <img src="Images/info.gif"> + <hr> + <h1>Introduction</h1> + FlexIO borrows its terminology and storage-style from + HDF and NetCDF. The file stores a sequence of multidimesional + arrays which are referred to generically as <b>datasets</b>. + The <b>rank</b> of the dataset is the number of dimensions the + data array has. The <b>dimensions</b> themselves are stored as + an array of integers. The dataset has a + <a href="DataTypes.html"><b>datatype</b></a> which + identifies the type of data stored in the array {32-bit float, + 64-bit float, 32-bit integer, 64-bit integer, character}. The + datasets are stored sequentially in the file and can be accessed + by their index which ranges from 0 to (<number of datasets> - + 1).<p> + + It is important to note that the data is always stored in + Fortan order. That is, the first element of the + <b>dimensions</b> array always refers to the number of + elements that are most closely packed in the array + (eg. stride = 1). The next dimension has a stride equal to + the product of the lower dimensions. This is opposite of + default C/C++ array indexing order but can be accomodated + easily in those languages.<p> + + In addition to raw dataset storage, you can attach + additional descriptions to the data using <b>annotations</b> + and <b>attributes</b>.<p> + + An <b>annotation</b> is a text-string description of a + dataset which can be attached to dataset. You can use it to + add comments or other such information to the file.<p> + + An <b>attribute</b> is a named vector of data (of any type) + attached to a dataset. This can function like an + <b>annotation</b> but it is primarily intended to add more + information to a dataset that can be interpreted by + visualization system or other such programs that would read + the datafile. The type of data attached in an attribute can + be the <i>origin</i> in 3D space of the dataset or a list of + floating point coordinates. + <i>coordinates</i> or a <i>componentname</i> etc... The name + identifies the semantic meaning of the array's contents and + readers can be configured to look for particular names to + add descriptive information to the dataset.<p>. + + <hr> + <h1>Documentation</h1> + <UL> + <LI><a href="UsingC++.html">Using the C++ interface</a> + <LI><a href="UsingC.html">Using the C interface</a> + <LI><a href="UsingF77.html">Using the F77 interface</a> + <LI><a href="UsingIDL.html">Using the IDL interface</a> + <LI><a href="UsingJava.html">Using the Java interface</a> + </UL> + <hr> + <address><a href="mailto:jshalf@ncsa.uiuc.edu">John Shalf</a></address> + <!-- Created: Mon Apr 7 12:52:52 MDT 1997 --> + <!-- hhmts start --> +Last modified: Thu Feb 4 21:38:53 CST 1999 +<!-- hhmts end --> + </body> +</html> |