CLASS HDF_DATASET

  INT:getIntValue(STRING:hdf_var_name,INT:default_value)
  STRING:getValue(STRING:hdf_var_name,STRING:default_value)
  setValue(STRING:hdf_var_name,STRING:value)

    These functions are used to read and write individual
    data elements to and from the HDF dataset. You must
    provide a default value of the proper type.

  readFile(STRING:filename)
  readString(STRING:hdf_string_data)
  writeFile(STRING:filename)
  STRING:writeString()
  STRING:dump()

    These functions are used to read and write chunks of HDF
    data from strings or files. Remember that since extra
    HDF information such as comments are not kept in the dataset,
    using readFile() and then writeFile() will basically result
    in a nicely formatted output file without comments.

    You can generate HDF output in three different formats or styles.
    They all read in the same way. writeFile() will dump a nicely
    formatted file with {} nesting and proper indention. writeString()
    will create the most compact representation by using {} nesting,
    but eliminates all unnecessary whitespace. This is generally used
    for rendering HDF for storage into a database or other small 
    data location. dump() writes out the fully qualified HDF path
    for every element (i.e. A.B.C=1), and is generally used to make
    certain configuration files or output dumps easy to read and use.

  HDF_DATASET:getObj(STRING:hdf_name)

    This returns a "sub-dataset" within the current dataset located
    at the given node.

  HDF_DATASET:top()
    
    This returns the root level of the dataset.

  copy(STRING:name,HDF_DATASET:src_dataset)

    This will copy the source dataset into the named location
    in the destination dataset. (i.e. the object you're calling
    copy on)

  removeTree(STRING:hdf_path)

    This deletes and removes an hdf subtree from the current
    dataset.

  setSymLink(STRING:hdf_name_src,STRING:hdf_name_dest)

    This is something like a UNIX symlink. It points the HDF
    source node name at the HDF destination node name. 
    For example:

    hdf.setValue("foo","bar")
    hdf.setSymLink("baz","foo")
    print hdf.getValue("baz","")   # ---> "bar"

  LIST_of_TUPLES:getAttrs(STRING:hdf_var_name)
  setAttr(STRING:hdf_node_name,STRING:attr_name,STRING:attr_value)

    These functions allow you to access the attributes which
    can be attached to any HDF node.  getAttrs returns a list
    of attributes present on a node in the form
    [(name1,value1),(name2,value2),...].

    setAttr allows you to set an attribute on that node.

    You should checkout the HDF dataset documentation to get a 
    more thorough description of attributes. 

  HDF_DATASET:child()
  HDF_DATASET:next()
  STRING:name()
  STRING:value()
 
    These functions are used for walking the HDF tree.
    For example, this function will recursively walk an
    entire tree (although the printout might not be
    exactly what you expect, because it only contains
    the local node names)

    def render_node(a_node):
      print "%s = %s" % (a_node.name(),a_node.value())

    def tree_walk(hdf_node):
      while hdf_node: 
        render_node(hdf_node)
        tree_walk(hdf_node.child())
        hdf_node = hdf_node.next()