FlexIO is a compact API for storing multidimensional scientific data. It hides the differences between underlying file formats including HDF-SDS, IEEEIO, and network socket connections. (Support for HDF5 will be added soon). It is designed to allow you to use exactly the same subroutine/method calls to store your data regardless of the underlying file format. FlexIO includes C++, C, and Fortran77/F90 interfaces and it has been ported to Sun-Solaris, Digital Unix, Cray-Unicos, SGI-Irix (32 and 64 bit), Windows95 and NT.
FlexIO borrows its terminology and storage-style from HDF and NetCDF. The file stores a sequence of multidimesional arrays which are referred to generically as datasets. The dimensions and datatype are stored with each dataset so that the data is completely self-describing. In addition, NetCDF-style named attributes can be stored with each dataset to add information like coordinates, units, and other auxillary information.
A set of higher level API's sit on top of FlexIO which permit simplified access to complex datastructures like Finite-Element, Adaptive Mesh Refinement, and Unigrid datastructures. In addition the MPIO interface provides access to parallel IO for MPI codes.