Re: [h5md-user] H5MD based on HDF5 1.8 file format

[Pierre de Buyl]

Hi all,

On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 01:37:57PM +0200, Felix Höfling wrote:
> Am 30.05.2013, 03:41 Uhr, schrieb Peter Colberg
> <address@hidden>:
> 
> >Dear all,
> >
> >In the light of the recent discussion of object time tracking [1], I
> >propose to mandate the HDF5 1.8 file format for H5MD version 1.0.
> >
> >[1] http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.science.simulation.h5md.user/159/focus=164
> >
> >The HDF5 1.8 file format includes time tracking of all groups
> >(including the root group) and datasets out of the box, e.g.,
> >creation and modification times.
> >
> >To estimate whether HDF 1.8 has been established as the default
> >version in current research environments, I checked the changelog of
> >the hdf5 source package in Debian [2], where HDF5 1.8 was first
> >uploaded in June 2009, and became the default version [3] in Debian
> >squeeze released in February 2011.
> >
> >[2] 
> >http://ftp-master.metadata.debian.org/changelogs/main/h/hdf5/hdf5_1.8.10-patch1-1_changelog
> >[3] http://packages.debian.org/source/squeeze/hdf5
> >
> >Peter
> >
> 
> I see no problem in requiring HDF5 version 1.8 for the feature of
> object tracking. In the rare case that someone wants to write H5MD
> using HDF5 version 1.6, this feature is not available. Since all
> other H5MD specifications work also with 1.6, I'm a bit hesitating
> to make 1.8 compulsory.
> 
> BTW, SuSE Linux Enterprise Edition (11-2) does not bring HDF5 at all
> out of the box.

I like the idea but honestly, we may just mention on the webpage that HDF5 1.8
and later is suggested and not make it mandatory. If we want to impose that
restriction later on, it is a very easy one to add to the specification.

Cheers,

Pierre