.. _spec2nexus:

spec2nexus
##########

Converts SPEC data files and scans into NeXus HDF5 files.

.. index:: examples; spec2nexus

How to use **spec2nexus**
*************************

Convert all scans in a SPEC data file::

    $ spec2nexus  path/to/file/specfile.dat

Writes ``path/to/file/specfile.hdf5`` (Will not
overwrite if the HDF5 exists, use the *-f* option
to force overwrite).

show installed version
**********************

Verify the version of the installed spec2nexus::

   $ spec2nexus  -v
   2014.03.02

command-line options
********************

.. code-block:: text
    :linenos:

      user@host ~$ spec2nexus.py -h
      usage: spec2nexus [-h] [-e HDF5_EXTENSION] [-f] [-v] [-s SCAN_LIST] [-t]
                        [--quiet | --verbose]
                        infile [infile ...]
      
      spec2nexus: Convert SPEC data file into a NeXus HDF5 file.
      
      positional arguments:
        infile                SPEC data file name(s)
      
      optional arguments:
        -h, --help            show this help message and exit
        -e HDF5_EXTENSION, --hdf5-extension HDF5_EXTENSION
                              NeXus HDF5 output file extension, default = .hdf5
        -f, --force-overwrite
                              overwrite output file if it exists
        -v, --version         show program's version number and exit
        -s SCAN_LIST, --scan SCAN_LIST
                              specify which scans to save, such as: -s all or -s 1
                              or -s 1,2,3-5 (no spaces!), default = all
        --quiet 	            suppress all program output (except errors), do not
                              use with --verbose option
        --verbose	            print more program output, do not use with --quiet 
                              option


.. note:: Where's the source code to spec2nexus?

   In the source code, the *spec2nexus* program
   is started from file **nexus.py** 
   (in the :meth:`spec2nexus.nexus.main`
   method, for those who look at the source code)::
   
      $ python nexus.py specfile.dat
     
   You're not really going to call that from the source directory, are you?
   It will work, *if* you have put that source directory on your PYTHONPATH.

----

source code documentation
*************************

.. automodule:: spec2nexus.nexus
    :members: 
    :synopsis: Converts SPEC data files and scans into NeXus HDF5 files