Release information for hdf5-1.0.0a
----------------------------------

This release is an beta release for functionality necessary for the
ASCI vector bundle project in a serial environment.  Some parallel
support is also available.  Other features should be considered alpha
quality.

The following functions are implemented. Errors are returned if an
attempt is made to use some feature which is not implemented and
printing the error stack will show `not implemented yet'.

Library
   H5dont_atexit	- don't call library close on exit
   H5init		- initialize library (happens automatically)
   H5version		- retrieve library version info

Templates
   H5Cclose		- release template resources
   H5Ccopy		- copy a template
   H5Ccreate		- create a new template
   H5Cget_chunk		- get chunked storage parameters
   H5Cget_class		- get template class
   H5Cget_istore_k	- get chunked storage parameters
   H5Cget_layout	- get raw data layout class
   H5Cget_sizes		- get address and size sizes
   H5Cget_sym_k		- get symbol table storage parameters
   H5Cget_userblock	- get user-block size
   H5Cget_version	- get file version numbers
   H5Cset_chunk		- set chunked storage parameters
   H5Cset_istore_k	- set chunked storage parameters
   H5Cset_layout	- set raw data layout class
   H5Cset_sizes		- set address and size sizes
   H5Cset_sym_k		- set symbol table storage parameters
   H5Cset_userblock	- set user-block size

Datasets
   H5Dclose		- release dataset resources
   H5Dcreate		- create a new dataset
   H5Dget_space		- get data space
   H5Dopen		- open an existing dataset
   H5Dread		- read raw data
   H5Dwrite		- write raw data

Errors
   H5Eclear		- clear the error stack
   H5Eclose		- release an error stack
   H5Ecreate		- create a new error stack
   H5Eprint		- print an error stack
   H5Epush		- push an error onto a stack

Files
   H5Fclose		- close a file and release resources
   H5Fcreate		- create a new file
   H5Fget_create_template - get file creation template
   H5Fis_hdf5		- determine if a file is an hdf5 file
   H5Fopen		- open an existing file

Groups
   H5Gclose		- close a group and release resources
   H5Gcreate		- create a new group
   H5Gopen		- open an existing group
   H5Gpop		- pop a group from the cwg stack
   H5Gpush		- push a group onto the cwg stack
   H5Gset		- set the current working group (cwg)

Data spaces
   H5Pclose		- release data space resources
   H5Pcreate_simple	- create a new simple data space
   H5Pget_dims		- get data space size
   H5Pget_hyperslab	- get data space selection
   H5Pget_ndims		- get data space dimensionality
   H5Pget_npoints	- get number of selected points
   H5Pis_simple		- determine if data space is simple
   H5Pset_hyperslab	- select data points
   H5Pset_space		- reset data space dimensionality and size

Data types
   H5Tclose		- release data type resources
   H5Tcopy		- copy a data type
   H5Tcreate		- create a new data type
   H5Tequal		- compare two data types
   H5Tfind		- find a data type conversion function
   H5Tget_class		- get data type class
   H5Tget_cset		- get character set
   H5Tget_ebias		- get exponent bias
   H5Tget_fields	- get floating point fields
   H5Tget_inpad		- get inter-field padding
   H5Tget_member_dims	- get struct member dimensions
   H5Tget_member_name	- get struct member name
   H5Tget_member_offset	- get struct member byte offset
   H5Tget_member_type	- get struct member type
   H5Tget_nmembers	- get number of struct members
   H5Tget_norm		- get floating point normalization
   H5Tget_offset	- get bit offset within type
   H5Tget_order		- get byte order
   H5Tget_pad		- get padding type
   H5Tget_precision	- get precision in bits
   H5Tget_sign		- get integer sign type
   H5Tget_size		- get size in bytes
   H5Tget_strpad	- get string padding
   H5Tinsert		- insert struct member
   H5Tlock		- lock type to prevent changes
   H5Tpack		- pack struct members
   H5Tregister_hard	- register specific type conversion function
   H5Tregister_soft	- register general type conversion function
   H5Tset_cset		- set character set
   H5Tset_ebias		- set exponent bias
   H5Tset_fields	- set floating point fields
   H5Tset_inpad		- set inter-field padding
   H5Tset_norm		- set floating point normalization
   H5Tset_offset	- set bit offset within type
   H5Tset_order		- set byte order
   H5Tset_pad		- set padding type
   H5Tset_precision	- set precision in bits
   H5Tset_sign		- set integer sign type
   H5Tset_size		- set size in bytes
   H5Tset_strpad	- set string padding
   H5Tunregister	- remove a type conversion function

This release has been tested on UNIX platforms only; specifically:
Linux, FreedBSD, IRIX, Solaris & Dec UNIX.


Release information for parallel HDF5
-------------------------------------

+) Current release supports independent access to fixed dimension datasets
   only.

+) The comm and info arguments of H5Cset_mpi are not used.  All parallel
   I/O are done via MPI_COMM_WORLD.  Access_mode for H5Cset_mpi can be
   H5ACC_INDEPENDENT only.

+) This release of parallel HDF5 has been tested on IBM SP2 and SGI
   Origin 2000 systems.  It uses the ROMIO version of MPIO interface
   for parallel I/O supports.

+) Useful URL's.
   Parallel HDF webpage: "http://hdf.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Parallel_HDF/"
   ROMIO webpage: "http://www.mcs.anl.gov/home/thakur/romio/"

+) Some to-do items for future releases
      support for Intel Teraflop platform.
      support for unlimited dimension datasets.
      support for file access via a communicator besides MPI_COMM_WORLD.
      support for collective access to datasets.
      support for independent create/open of datasets.