whats is the use of gradshdf?

[Don Hooper]

First,  "grads" is not a separate binary; it merely points to one of the others.
Second, the primary difference between gradshdf and gradsnc is that gradsnc
is linked with the Unidata NetCDF library, while gradshdf is linked with the
NCSA HDF-SDS (Scientific Data Sets) libraries.  HDF-SDS is HDF's
implementation of NetCDF.  What this means for most users is this:
programs that link with HDF-SDS libraries can read either version of the
format, which programs that link with the Unidata library can only read
NetCDF files created via the Unidata library.  So why not just link with
the HDF-SDS libraries?  The biggest reason is that GrADS can write NetCDF
files (via the LATS library, primarily via the lats4d script) as well as
read them.  If you create NetCDF (actually, HDF-SDS) files with gradshdf,
gradsnc couldn't read them.  If you create NetCDF files with gradsnc,
either gradsnc or gradshdf could read them.

However, gradshdf can only read HDF-SDS files, not the wide world of HDF
formats, and not HDF5 files.

I hope that clarifies things.

-Hoop
> From owner-gradsusr at LIST.CINECA.IT  Mon Apr 25 21:03:54 2005
> From: Mallikarjun <arjunjt at CAOS.IISC.ERNET.IN>
>
> Hello all,
>
>  I found there is one 'gradshdf' executable file in ~/grads/bin/
> directory. As the name suggests would it mean that it opens .hdf
> data like 'grads' and 'gradsnc' execuatables do for .netcdf files.
> However, I would like to know how to read .hdf files in Grads.
>
> Could anyone suggest me please..
>
> Thanks
>
> --
> Mallikarjuna.K
> J.R.F
> Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
> Indian Institute of Science
> Bangalore - 560 012