HDF5 documentation, user community effort, another passionate plea

[Paul E Johnson]

Katherine Roberts wrote:
> 
> OK, silly question, but what is hdf5 actually for and how do I use it?
> 
It is a data storage format, about which we are accumulating application
and info.  

Swarm is a community/volunteer effort.  I can generate documentation if
I understand things, but I don't understand HDF5 well enough yet to do
it.  If people in the community are using HDF5 actively and also R to
access the information, perhaps they can follow the lead of Norberto
Eiji Nawa, who gave me some information when he posted "I left 50 HDF5
samples (HDF5samples.tar.gz), the single big data file
(ArchiverHDF5.hdf.gz) and the trivial R script to load in a loop the
files (testHDF5load.R) under http://www.isd.atr.co.jp/~eiji/swarm for
those who are interested."  I plan to investigate that and learn more.
If other people post sample code that uses HDF5 storage, I can learn
more, then write something.  I need the Swarm applications that write
the data, and the R code that accesses the data, if possible.  

Marcus is doing almost all the work of the whole community, and that
situation has to change. His development work on Swarm itself happens
because he is interested in doing things in his own job or personal
interest, and it is up to the rest of us to make other contributions and
work out example usages and documentation.  

Lets see if we can't make the HDF5 usage a test case.  We need others to
step up the plate and give us a push.
-- 
Paul E. Johnson                       email: address@hidden
Dept. of Political Science            http://lark.cc.ukans.edu/~pauljohn
University of Kansas                  Office: (785) 864-9086
Lawrence, Kansas 66045                FAX: (785) 864-5700

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