---
name: "vssetexternalfile"
section: "3hdf"
platform: "linux"
package: "libhdf4g-dev"
version: "4.0.2-6"
release: "Debian 2.0 (Hamm)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/vssetexternalfile"
---

# vssetexternalfile(3hdf)

- int32 VSsetexternalfile(int 32 id, char \*filename, int32 offset)

  *id*\
   	IN: vdata ID

  *filename*\
   	IN: name of external file

  *offset*\
   	IN: offset in external file

- Purpose

  store Vdata info in a separate file

- Return value

  Return SUCCEED if no error, else FAIL.

- Description

  Specify that the actual data for this Vdata be stored in a  separate file (an "external file" in HDF terms).

  Only the data (as in VSwrite()) will be stored externally.   Attributes and such will still be in the main file.

  IMPORTANT:  It is the user's responsibility to see that the  separate files are transported with the main file.

- FORTRAN

  integer function vsfsextf(id, filename, offset)\
   integer\*4	id, offset\
   character\*(\*)   filename