# External links

**URL:** <https://forum.hdfgroup.org/t/external-links/1492>\
**Category:** Hdf-forum archives\
**Created:** [November 18, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://forum.hdfgroup.org/t/external-links/1492 "2009-11-18T17:36:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Cyril\_Giraudon](https://forum.hdfgroup.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cyril\_Giraudon](https://forum.hdfgroup.org/u/Cyril_Giraudon)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://forum.hdfgroup.org/t/external-links/1492/1 "2009-11-18T17:36:19Z")

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Hello,

I've just discovered the very powerfull HDF5 external links.

I use HDF5 1.8.3 on linux compiled with ifort.  
I create a file with an external link then I read this file (walk the nodes) with another program.

All nodes are correcly read without any modification code compare to normal internal nodes.  
Great.

So, this is my question :

Why does hdfview not show external links ?  
(pytables 2.1.2 doesn't see external links either(test with the walkNode method)).

Thanks a lot,

Cyril Giraudon.