HDF5 file version

When reading HDF5 files, the HDF5 file version bounds chosen by the writing program must be no newer than the reading program’s HDF5 library version. Usually this is not a problem unless using a very old program to read HDF5 files. When necessary to write older version HDF5 files, select the HDF5 file version from the writing program API. At the time of writing, there is no way to introspect the HDF5 library version required to read a specific HDF5 file. The only way to know is to try to read data from the HDF5 file and see if it works.

Python h5py: use libver= when necessary:

with h5py.File(libver='earliest') as f:
   ....

Matlab low-level HDF5 interface H5P.set_libver_bounds() set HDF5 file write library version bounds.

C / C++ / Fortran HDF5 library can set the HDF5 library version bounds by H5Fset_libver_bounds() and H5Pset_libver_bounds().

Related: Check HDF5 files for corruption