# \[PATCH\] Relative filenames for external files

**URL:** <https://forum.hdfgroup.org/t/patch-relative-filenames-for-external-files/3178>\
**Category:** Hdf-forum archives\
**Created:** [April 4, 2014, 3:10pm UTC](https://forum.hdfgroup.org/t/patch-relative-filenames-for-external-files/3178 "2014-04-04T15:10:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 8

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**Author:** ![epourmal](https://forum.hdfgroup.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/c67d28/32.png) [@epourmal](https://forum.hdfgroup.org/u/epourmal)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://forum.hdfgroup.org/t/patch-relative-filenames-for-external-files/3178/8 "2015-03-30T23:06:42Z")

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Hi Steffen,

> **···**
>
> On Mar 30, 2015, at 2:49 AM, Steffen Kieß \<Steffen.Kiess@ipvs.uni-stuttgart.de\> wrote:
> 
> > Hello,
> > 
> > On 2015-03-12 00:08, Elena Pourmal wrote:
> > 
> > > Steffen,
> > > 
> > > Thank you for the new patch! I’ll let you know if we have any questions.
> > 
> > is there any update on this? Is there anything I can do to help?
> 
> Yes, there is.
> 
> On Friday, March 27, we reviewed the patch and concluded that we cannot accept it as it is. Applications that rely on the current behavior will be broken.  
> Would you like to have a telecon with us to discuss the issue and see how we can move forward with the fix? We really appreciate your effort and would like to resolve the issue.
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> Elena  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> Elena Pourmal The HDF Group [http://hdfgroup.org](http://hdfgroup.org)  
> 1800 So. Oak St., Suite 203, Champaign IL 61820  
> 217.531.6112  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> > Best regards,  
> > Steffen Kieß
> > 
> > > Elena  
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> > > Elena Pourmal The HDF Group [http://hdfgroup.org](http://hdfgroup.org)  
> > > 1800 So. Oak St., Suite 203, Champaign IL 61820  
> > > 217.531.6112  
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > 
> > > On Mar 11, 2015, at 1:28 PM, Steffen Kieß \>\> \<Steffen.Kiess@ipvs.uni-stuttgart.de \>\> \<mailto:Steffen.Kiess@ipvs.uni-stuttgart.de\>\> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > (I'm not sure where the sources for the Reference Manual and the  
> > > > User's Guide are, so I'm not sure who will apply these changes / how I  
> > > > can submit patches for that.)
> > > > 
> > > > [http://www.hdfgroup.org/HDF5/doc/RM/RM\_H5P.html#Property-SetExternal](http://www.hdfgroup.org/HDF5/doc/RM/RM_H5P.html#Property-SetExternal)
> > > > 
> > > > A paragraph can be added to the Description:
> > > > 
> > > > If 'name' is a relative filename, it will be considered relative to  
> > > > the HDF5 file. In this case when the HDF5 file is moved, the external  
> > > > files should be moved along with it.
> > > > 
> > > > And to History:  
> > > > 1.8.15 Relative filenames are now considered relative to the HDF5  
> > > > file, not to the current directory.
> > > > 
> > > > [http://www.hdfgroup.org/HDF5/doc/UG/10\_Datasets.html](http://www.hdfgroup.org/HDF5/doc/UG/10_Datasets.html)
> > > > 
> > > > To last paragraph of "5.5.4. External Storage Properties":  
> > > > All referenced external data files must exist before performing raw  
> > > > data I/O on the dataset. This is normally not a problem since those  
> > > > files are being managed directly by the application or indirectly  
> > > > through some other library. However, if the file is transferred from  
> > > > its original context, care must be taken to assure that all the  
> > > > external files are accessible in the new location.
> > > > 
> > > > Add:  
> > > > If relative filenames are used, they will be considered relative to  
> > > > the location of the HDF5 file.
> > > 
> > > \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_  
> > > Hdf-forum is for HDF software users discussion.  
> > > Hdf-forum@lists.hdfgroup.org  
> > > [http://lists.hdfgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/hdf-forum\_lists.hdfgroup.org](http://lists.hdfgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/hdf-forum_lists.hdfgroup.org)  
> > > Twitter: [x.com](https://twitter.com/hdf5)
> > 
> > \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_  
> > Hdf-forum is for HDF software users discussion.  
> > Hdf-forum@lists.hdfgroup.org  
> > [http://lists.hdfgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/hdf-forum\_lists.hdfgroup.org](http://lists.hdfgroup.org/mailman/listinfo/hdf-forum_lists.hdfgroup.org)  
> > Twitter: [x.com](https://twitter.com/hdf5)

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