h5_create_file: Create an HDF5 File

In h5lite: Simplified 'HDF5' Interface

Create an HDF5 File

Description

Explicitly creates a new, empty HDF5 file.

Usage

h5_create_file(file)

Arguments

file	Path to the HDF5 file to be created.

Details

This function is a simple wrapper around h5_create_group(file, "/"). Its main purpose is to allow for explicit file creation in code.

Note that calling this function is almost always unnecessary, as all h5lite writing functions (like h5_write() or h5_create_group()) will automatically create the file if it does not exist.

It is provided as a convenience for users who prefer to explicitly create a file before writing data to it.

Value

Invisibly returns NULL. This function is called for its side effects.

File Handling

• If file does not exist, it will be created as a new, empty HDF5 file.

• If file already exists and is a valid HDF5 file, this function does nothing and returns successfully.

• If file exists but is not a valid HDF5 file (e.g., a text file), an error will be thrown and the file will not be modified.

See Also

h5_create_group(), h5_write()

Examples

file <- tempfile(fileext = ".h5")

# Explicitly create the file
h5_create_file(file)

if (file.exists(file)) {
  message("File created successfully.")
}

unlink(file)

h5lite documentation built on May 19, 2026, 1:07 a.m.