HDF Bug -- Was: Saving HDF templates

[davidf(at)dfanning.com (David Fanning)]

William Hix (raph@phy.ornl.gov) wrote several days ago:

>     Thanks for answering my previous question.  As always, this just 
> leads to another.  I've figured out how to use HDF_BROWSER and HDF_READ to 
> read in an HDF file.  But that's about as far as the HDF documentation
> takes me.  So I'm left with the following questions.  
> 
>     How can I save the template which HDF_BROWSER generates?  If I can save 
> it, either in a .dat file which I can readf in with a procedure or in a form 
> which I can put directly into a .pro (template = ...), I can automate some 
> of this analysis.  It seems to me that the template is just a structure, 
> so both of these should be possible but my limited knowledge of structures 
> has thus far thwarted my efforts.  Any pointers?

Trying to follow this question up, I discovered that in my Windows
IDL 5.2 version that I couldn't even use the HDF_BROWSER and
HDF_READ together without causing an error. RSI technical support
now confirms this is a bug with no known workaround.

So--just so some of the rest of you don't think you are
going crazy too--here is what happens to me when I try to use
these two programs together:

    IDL> Print, !Version
    { x86 Win32 Windows 5.2 Oct 30 1998}

    IDL> template = hdf_browser('testhdf.hdf')
    IDL> output_structure = HDF_READ('testhdf.hdf', TEMPLATE=template)
    % Variable is undefined: COMPARE_STRUCTURES.
    % Execution halted at:  HDF_READ               
    %                       $MAIN$                 

I created the HDF file by running the WRITEHDF program on my
web page:

   http://www.dfanning.com/programs/writehdf.pro

I'll let you know if I learn anything more.

Cheers,

David

-- 
David Fanning, Ph.D.
Fanning Software Consulting
Phone: 970-221-0438 E-Mail: davidf@dfanning.com
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