Get array dimensions in a compound datatype

HDF5 Library
1

Dear all,
I am struggling a bit to get the dimensions of the array inside a compound datatype. I am extracting the data from the hdf and I am successful in extracting the all atomic but arrays. This is due to the fact that I am unable to extract the dimension of the array. I am using HDF.PInvoke in C#.

The biggest issue I have is to extract parameter ‘dims’ in the below code from the hdf file. I know dims can be defined for example ulong[2]={Dim1, Dim2}, but that is not what I wan’t to do since Dim2 is not the same in every hdf file. Is there a way to extract dims parameter required for HDF5get_array_dims from hdf file?.

int arrDim = H5T.get_array_dims(mem_type_ID,dims);

mem_type_ID is obtained by looping through all data types, k is the loop index.

herr_t nmembers = H5T.get_nmembers(typeID);
hid_t mem_type = H5T.copy(typeID);   

for (uint k = 0; k <= nmembers - 1; k++)
{
...
hid_t mem_type_ID = H5T.get_member_type(mem_type, k);
...
}

Also, Is there a way to know the datatype of the elements inside the array?

Thanks in advance
BR,
Raghu

2

Raghu, how are you? I’m not sure I understand the first part of your question. H5T.get_array_dims gives you the extent of the individual dimensions. Is your question, how many dimensions (rank) there are in the first place? If that’s the case, H5T.get_array_ndims is what you want.
On your second question (how to determine the element type of an array type): Let’s say array_type_id is a handle of your array type. Then elt_type_id = H5T.get_super(array_type_id) is the type from which the array type was derived, in this case, the array element type.
Does that answer your question(s)?

Best, G.

3

Hello gheber,
Thanks for the quick reply. The main issue I have in handling the H5T.get_array_dims is to do with second parameter dims, How do I obtain this from the from the h5 file?. I know that the rank of the array is 1 from H5T.get_array_ndims but I do not know how many elements are there in the array. In that case I need to obtain that information from h5 file, the question is how do I know the number of elements in the array?.

BR,
Raghu

4

Thanks for the information. I found an alternative solution. Having known the size of the object and the size of the element of the array, I was able to derive the number of elements.