HDF Tools is a wrapper for the file handling functionality in pyhdf and and PyTables. It provides a single interface to read, create, and append any HDF file regardless of its format: HDF4, HDF5, or HDF-EOS. It is most useful for earth scientists who want to use a simple function call to handle data files from multiple sources. Typical usage often looks like this:

#!/usr/bin/env python

from hdftools import opnenhdf

file = openhdf(filename)

HDF Tools relies on having the HDF4 and HDF5 libraries, as well as the pyhdf and PyTables packages installed. Below are instructions for downloading the most current versions (as of the date of this publcation) of these libraries and packages on Mac OSx. Please see the deverloper websites for instruction for other platforms or versions.

##HDF4 and pyhdf

###Download and install the JPEG, PNG, and SZIP libraries

#####JPEG and PNG:

Download the disk image from this [link] (http://ethan.tira-thompson.com/Mac%20OS%20X%20Ports_files/libjpeg-libpng%20%28universal%29.dmg/ "Title").

Follow the installers prompts and complete the installation in ${LibDir}.

#####SZIP:

Downlaod the tarball to your install directory

curl ftp://ftp.hdfgroup.org/lib-external/szip/2.1/src/szip-2.1.tar.gz | tar xzf -

Execute the following:

./configure --prefix=${LibDir} --enable-shared --enable-production
make
make check
make install

#####HDF4 Library:

Download the latest version of HDF4

curl http://www.hdfgroup.org/ftp/HDF/HDF_Current/src/hdf-4.2.10.tar.gz | tar xzf -

Execute the following:

./configure --prefix=${LibDir} --disable-fortran --enable-production --with-szlib=${LibDir} CPPFLAGS=-I${LibDir}/include LDFLAGS=-L${LibDir}/lib
make
make check
make install

#####pyhdf Package

Download the latest version of pyhdf

svn checkout https://pysclint.svn.sourceforge.net/svnroot/pysclint/trunk/pyhdf

Execute the following

sudo env INCLUDE_DIRS=${LibDir}/include LIBRARY_DIRS=${LibDir}/lib python setup.py install

##HDF5 and PyTables

#####HDF5 Library

Download the latest version of HDF5

curl http://http://www.hdfgroup.org/ftp/HDF5/current/src/hdf5-1.8.13.tar.gz | tar xzf -

Execute the following:

./configure --prefix=${LibDir} --disable-fortran --enable-production --with-	szlib=${LibDir} CPPFLAGS=-I${LibDir}/include LDFLAGS=-L${LibDir}/lib
make
make check
make install

#####PyTables Package

Install nuexpr

easy_install numexpr

Install cython

easy_install cython

Download latest version of Pytables from http://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/pytables/pytables

Execute the following:

sudo python setup.py build_ext  --hdf5=${LibDir} --inplace
sudo python setup.py install  --hdf5=${LibDir}