Task 051: .AXF File Format
Task 051: .AXF File Format
The .AXF file format is ambiguous, as it refers to two distinct formats: the Archive eXchange Format (developed by SMPTE/ISO for file-based asset storage) and the Appearance eXchange Format (developed by X-Rite for material appearance data). Additionally, there’s a less common use in ARM’s RealView compiler for object code and debug information. Since the task emphasizes a file system context and generic file operations, I’ll assume the Archive eXchange Format (AXF) is the intended format, as it aligns with file system operations and is designed for storing and managing file-based assets. If you meant the Appearance eXchange Format or another variant, please clarify, and I’ll adjust the response accordingly.
1. Properties of the Archive eXchange Format (AXF) Intrinsic to Its File System
The Archive eXchange Format (AXF) is an open-standard, object-container format designed for long-term storage, transport, and preservation of file-based assets and their metadata. It encapsulates files and metadata in a self-contained, self-describing package, independent of underlying operating systems, file systems, or storage technologies. Based on the specifications from SMPTE (ST 2034-1:2014) and ISO/IEC 12034-1:2017, the following properties are intrinsic to its file system structure:
- File Container Structure: AXF is a file container that encapsulates any number, size, and type of files into a single, self-contained package.
- Lightweight File System: Includes an internal, lightweight file system that abstracts the underlying operating system and storage technology, ensuring portability across platforms (e.g., Windows, Linux, macOS) and storage media (e.g., tape, disk, cloud).
- Self-Describing Objects: AXF objects are self-describing, containing metadata that describes the structure and contents of the encapsulated files, allowing access without reliance on the original system.
- Metadata Support: Supports unlimited metadata (descriptive, technical, proprietary) stored alongside files, encapsulated in a standardized format.
- Immutable Objects: AXF objects are immutable, ensuring data integrity and preservation over time.
- Storage Media Independence: Compatible with any storage technology (e.g., magnetic disk, data tape, optical media, flash media, cloud).
- File System Abstraction: Provides a universal file system view, allowing applications to access files and metadata regardless of the underlying file system (e.g., NTFS, ext4, FAT32).
- Encapsulation Mechanism: Defines a specific method for bundling files and metadata into AXF objects, including headers, file lists, and data blocks.
- Checksums for Integrity: Includes checksums (e.g., CRC or SHA) to verify data integrity during storage and transfer.
- Versioning Support: Allows for versioning of AXF objects to track changes or updates to the encapsulated content.
- Media Footer: Includes a footer on storage media for additional self-describing information, ensuring recoverability even if the original system is unavailable.
- Interoperability: Designed to support interoperability across disparate storage systems, ensuring accessibility by any compliant application.
- Long-Term Preservation: Incorporates Open Archive Information System (OAIS) preservation characteristics, such as self-containment and technology independence.
These properties enable AXF to function as a robust, future-proof format for archiving and exchanging files across diverse systems.
2. Python Class for AXF File Operations
Below is a Python class that demonstrates opening, reading, writing, and printing AXF file properties. Since AXF is a complex format with no widely available open-source libraries for direct manipulation, this implementation assumes a simplified model based on the AXF specification. It uses a hypothetical binary structure for demonstration, focusing on reading and writing metadata and file lists. In practice, you’d need an AXF-compliant library or detailed binary parsing based on SMPTE ST 2034-1:2014.
import struct
import hashlib
import os
class AXFHandler:
def __init__(self, filename):
self.filename = filename
self.properties = {
"file_container": None,
"lightweight_filesystem": None,
"self_describing": False,
"metadata": [],
"immutable": True,
"storage_media": None,
"filesystem_abstraction": None,
"checksum": None,
"version": 1,
"media_footer": None,
"interoperability": True,
"preservation": True
}
def open_axf(self):
"""Open and read AXF file properties."""
try:
with open(self.filename, 'rb') as f:
# Hypothetical header: magic number (4 bytes), version (4 bytes), file count (4 bytes)
header = f.read(12)
if len(header) < 12:
raise ValueError("Invalid AXF file: too short")
magic, version, file_count = struct.unpack('<4sII', header)
if magic != b'AXF\x00':
raise ValueError("Invalid AXF file: wrong magic number")
self.properties["file_container"] = f"Container with {file_count} files"
self.properties["version"] = version
self.properties["self_describing"] = True
# Read metadata (hypothetical: metadata length + data)
metadata_len = struct.unpack('<I', f.read(4))[0]
metadata = f.read(metadata_len).decode('utf-8')
self.properties["metadata"] = metadata.split(';')
# Read file list (hypothetical: file names as strings)
files = []
for _ in range(file_count):
name_len = struct.unpack('<I', f.read(4))[0]
files.append(f.read(name_len).decode('utf-8'))
self.properties["lightweight_filesystem"] = files
# Read checksum (hypothetical: SHA-256 at end)
f.seek(-32, os.SEEK_END)
self.properties["checksum"] = f.read(32).hex()
# Set other properties based on context
self.properties["storage_media"] = "Detected from file system"
self.properties["filesystem_abstraction"] = "Universal view"
self.properties["media_footer"] = "Present"
except Exception as e:
print(f"Error opening AXF file: {e}")
def write_axf(self, files, metadata):
"""Write files and metadata to a new AXF file."""
try:
with open(self.filename, 'wb') as f:
# Write header
f.write(struct.pack('<4sII', b'AXF\x00', self.properties["version"], len(files)))
# Write metadata
metadata_str = ';'.join(metadata).encode('utf-8')
f.write(struct.pack('<I', len(metadata_str)))
f.write(metadata_str)
# Write file list
for file in files:
file_name = file.encode('utf-8')
f.write(struct.pack('<I', len(file_name)))
f.write(file_name)
# Write file contents (simplified)
for file in files:
with open(file, 'rb') as src:
f.write(src.read())
# Write checksum
f.seek(0)
checksum = hashlib.sha256(f.read()).hexdigest()
f.write(bytes.fromhex(checksum))
self.properties["metadata"] = metadata
self.properties["lightweight_filesystem"] = files
self.properties["checksum"] = checksum
except Exception as e:
print(f"Error writing AXF file: {e}")
def print_properties(self):
"""Print all AXF properties to console."""
for key, value in self.properties.items():
print(f"{key}: {value}")
# Example usage
if __name__ == "__main__":
axf = AXFHandler("example.axf")
axf.write_axf(["file1.txt", "file2.jpg"], ["creator=John", "date=2025-09-09"])
axf.open_axf()
axf.print_properties()
Notes:
- This is a simplified implementation. A real AXF parser would require detailed parsing of SMPTE ST 2034-1:2014 structures, including AXF objects, headers, and footers.
- The class assumes a binary structure with a magic number, version, file count, metadata, and checksum. Actual AXF files are more complex, with specific object and media footer formats.
- Error handling is basic; production code should be more robust.
- No open-source Python library for AXF was found; you may need proprietary tools or SMPTE documentation for full implementation.
3. Java Class for AXF File Operations
Below is a Java class for handling AXF files, following a similar simplified model.
import java.io.*;
import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
import java.security.MessageDigest;
import java.util.*;
public class AXFHandler {
private String filename;
private Map<String, Object> properties;
public AXFHandler(String filename) {
this.filename = filename;
this.properties = new HashMap<>();
properties.put("file_container", null);
properties.put("lightweight_filesystem", null);
properties.put("self_describing", false);
properties.put("metadata", new ArrayList<String>());
properties.put("immutable", true);
properties.put("storage_media", null);
properties.put("filesystem_abstraction", null);
properties.put("checksum", null);
properties.put("version", 1);
properties.put("media_footer", null);
properties.put("interoperability", true);
properties.put("preservation", true);
}
public void openAXF() {
try (RandomAccessFile file = new RandomAccessFile(filename, "r")) {
// Read header: magic (4 bytes), version (4 bytes), file count (4 bytes)
byte[] header = new byte[12];
if (file.read(header) != 12) throw new IOException("Invalid AXF file: too short");
String magic = new String(header, 0, 4, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
if (!magic.equals("AXF\0")) throw new IOException("Invalid AXF file: wrong magic number");
int version = ((header[4] & 0xFF) << 24) | ((header[5] & 0xFF) << 16) |
((header[6] & 0xFF) << 8) | (header[7] & 0xFF);
int fileCount = ((header[8] & 0xFF) << 24) | ((header[9] & 0xFF) << 16) |
((header[10] & 0xFF) << 8) | (header[11] & 0xFF);
properties.put("file_container", "Container with " + fileCount + " files");
properties.put("version", version);
properties.put("self_describing", true);
// Read metadata
byte[] lenBytes = new byte[4];
file.read(lenBytes);
int metadataLen = ((lenBytes[0] & 0xFF) << 24) | ((lenBytes[1] & 0xFF) << 16) |
((lenBytes[2] & 0xFF) << 8) | (lenBytes[3] & 0xFF);
byte[] metadataBytes = new byte[metadataLen];
file.read(metadataBytes);
String metadata = new String(metadataBytes, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
properties.put("metadata", Arrays.asList(metadata.split(";")));
// Read file list
List<String> files = new ArrayList<>();
for (int i = 0; i < fileCount; i++) {
file.read(lenBytes);
int nameLen = ((lenBytes[0] & 0xFF) << 24) | ((lenBytes[1] & 0xFF) << 16) |
((lenBytes[2] & 0xFF) << 8) | (lenBytes[3] & 0xFF);
byte[] nameBytes = new byte[nameLen];
file.read(nameBytes);
files.add(new String(nameBytes, StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
}
properties.put("lightweight_filesystem", files);
// Read checksum
file.seek(file.length() - 32);
byte[] checksumBytes = new byte[32];
file.read(checksumBytes);
properties.put("checksum", bytesToHex(checksumBytes));
// Set other properties
properties.put("storage_media", "Detected from file system");
properties.put("filesystem_abstraction", "Universal view");
properties.put("media_footer", "Present");
} catch (IOException e) {
System.out.println("Error opening AXF file: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
public void writeAXF(List<String> files, List<String> metadata) {
try (RandomAccessFile file = new RandomAccessFile(filename, "rw")) {
// Write header
file.writeBytes("AXF\0");
file.writeInt((int) properties.get("version"));
file.writeInt(files.size());
// Write metadata
String metadataStr = String.join(";", metadata);
byte[] metadataBytes = metadataStr.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
file.writeInt(metadataBytes.length);
file.write(metadataBytes);
// Write file list
for (String f : files) {
byte[] nameBytes = f.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
file.writeInt(nameBytes.length);
file.write(nameBytes);
}
// Write file contents
for (String f : files) {
try (FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(f)) {
byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
int bytesRead;
while ((bytesRead = fis.read(buffer)) != -1) {
file.write(buffer, 0, bytesRead);
}
}
}
// Write checksum
file.seek(0);
MessageDigest sha256 = MessageDigest.getInstance("SHA-256");
byte[] buffer = new byte[1024];
int bytesRead;
while ((bytesRead = file.read(buffer)) != -1) {
sha256.update(buffer, 0, bytesRead);
}
byte[] checksum = sha256.digest();
file.write(checksum);
properties.put("metadata", metadata);
properties.put("lightweight_filesystem", files);
properties.put("checksum", bytesToHex(checksum));
} catch (Exception e) {
System.out.println("Error writing AXF file: " + e.getMessage());
}
}
public void printProperties() {
for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : properties.entrySet()) {
System.out.println(entry.getKey() + ": " + entry.getValue());
}
}
private String bytesToHex(byte[] bytes) {
StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
for (byte b : bytes) {
sb.append(String.format("%02x", b));
}
return sb.toString();
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
AXFHandler axf = new AXFHandler("example.axf");
axf.writeAXF(Arrays.asList("file1.txt", "file2.jpg"), Arrays.asList("creator=John", "date=2025-09-09"));
axf.openAXF();
axf.printProperties();
}
}
Notes:
- Similar to the Python implementation, this is a simplified model. Actual AXF parsing requires SMPTE specification details.
- Uses
RandomAccessFilefor binary I/O, with a hypothetical structure mirroring the Python example. - Error handling is included but simplified for brevity.
4. JavaScript Class for AXF File Operations
Below is a JavaScript class for Node.js, using the fs module for file operations.
const fs = require('fs').promises;
const crypto = require('crypto');
class AXFHandler {
constructor(filename) {
this.filename = filename;
this.properties = {
file_container: null,
lightweight_filesystem: null,
self_describing: false,
metadata: [],
immutable: true,
storage_media: null,
filesystem_abstraction: null,
checksum: null,
version: 1,
media_footer: null,
interoperability: true,
preservation: true
};
}
async openAXF() {
try {
const buffer = await fs.readFile(this.filename);
if (buffer.length < 12) throw new Error("Invalid AXF file: too short");
// Read header
const magic = buffer.toString('utf8', 0, 4);
if (magic !== 'AXF\0') throw new Error("Invalid AXF file: wrong magic number");
const version = buffer.readUInt32LE(4);
const fileCount = buffer.readUInt32LE(8);
this.properties.file_container = `Container with ${fileCount} files`;
this.properties.version = version;
this.properties.self_describing = true;
// Read metadata
let offset = 12;
const metadataLen = buffer.readUInt32LE(offset);
offset += 4;
const metadata = buffer.toString('utf8', offset, offset + metadataLen);
this.properties.metadata = metadata.split(';');
offset += metadataLen;
// Read file list
const files = [];
for (let i = 0; i < fileCount; i++) {
const nameLen = buffer.readUInt32LE(offset);
offset += 4;
files.push(buffer.toString('utf8', offset, offset + nameLen));
offset += nameLen;
}
this.properties.lightweight_filesystem = files;
// Read checksum
this.properties.checksum = buffer.slice(buffer.length - 32).toString('hex');
// Set other properties
this.properties.storage_media = 'Detected from file system';
this.properties.filesystem_abstraction = 'Universal view';
this.properties.media_footer = 'Present';
} catch (error) {
console.error(`Error opening AXF file: ${error.message}`);
}
}
async writeAXF(files, metadata) {
try {
let buffer = Buffer.alloc(0);
// Write header
const header = Buffer.alloc(12);
header.write('AXF\0', 0, 4, 'utf8');
header.writeUInt32LE(this.properties.version, 4);
header.writeUInt32LE(files.length, 8);
buffer = Buffer.concat([buffer, header]);
// Write metadata
const metadataStr = metadata.join(';');
const metadataBuffer = Buffer.from(metadataStr, 'utf8');
const metadataLen = Buffer.alloc(4);
metadataLen.writeUInt32LE(metadataBuffer.length);
buffer = Buffer.concat([buffer, metadataLen, metadataBuffer]);
// Write file list
for (const file of files) {
const nameBuffer = Buffer.from(file, 'utf8');
const nameLen = Buffer.alloc(4);
nameLen.writeUInt32LE(nameBuffer.length);
buffer = Buffer.concat([buffer, nameLen, nameBuffer]);
}
// Write file contents
for (const file of files) {
const fileContent = await fs.readFile(file);
buffer = Buffer.concat([buffer, fileContent]);
}
// Write checksum
const checksum = crypto.createHash('sha256').update(buffer).digest();
buffer = Buffer.concat([buffer, checksum]);
await fs.writeFile(this.filename, buffer);
this.properties.metadata = metadata;
this.properties.lightweight_filesystem = files;
this.properties.checksum = checksum.toString('hex');
} catch (error) {
console.error(`Error writing AXF file: ${error.message}`);
}
}
printProperties() {
for (const [key, value] of Object.entries(this.properties)) {
console.log(`${key}: ${value}`);
}
}
}
// Example usage
(async () => {
const axf = new AXFHandler('example.axf');
await axf.writeAXF(['file1.txt', 'file2.jpg'], ['creator=John', 'date=2025-09-09']);
await axf.openAXF();
axf.printProperties();
})();
Notes:
- Designed for Node.js, using asynchronous file operations.
- Follows the same hypothetical structure as the Python and Java implementations.
- Error handling is included, but real-world AXF parsing would require SMPTE specification details.
5. C Class for AXF File Operations
C doesn’t have classes, but we can use a struct and functions to achieve similar functionality. Below is a C implementation.
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <openssl/sha.h>
typedef struct {
char* filename;
char* file_container;
char** lightweight_filesystem;
int file_count;
int self_describing;
char** metadata;
int metadata_count;
int immutable;
char* storage_media;
char* filesystem_abstraction;
char* checksum;
unsigned int version;
char* media_footer;
int interoperability;
int preservation;
} AXFHandler;
AXFHandler* create_axf_handler(const char* filename) {
AXFHandler* handler = (AXFHandler*)malloc(sizeof(AXFHandler));
handler->filename = strdup(filename);
handler->file_container = NULL;
handler->lightweight_filesystem = NULL;
handler->file_count = 0;
handler->self_describing = 0;
handler->metadata = NULL;
handler->metadata_count = 0;
handler->immutable = 1;
handler->storage_media = NULL;
handler->filesystem_abstraction = NULL;
handler->checksum = NULL;
handler->version = 1;
handler->media_footer = NULL;
handler->interoperability = 1;
handler->preservation = 1;
return handler;
}
void free_axf_handler(AXFHandler* handler) {
free(handler->filename);
free(handler->file_container);
if (handler->lightweight_filesystem) {
for (int i = 0; i < handler->file_count; i++) free(handler->lightweight_filesystem[i]);
free(handler->lightweight_filesystem);
}
if (handler->metadata) {
for (int i = 0; i < handler->metadata_count; i++) free(handler->metadata[i]);
free(handler->metadata);
}
free(handler->storage_media);
free(handler->filesystem_abstraction);
free(handler->checksum);
free(handler->media_footer);
free(handler);
}
int open_axf(AXFHandler* handler) {
FILE* file = fopen(handler->filename, "rb");
if (!file) {
printf("Error opening AXF file: %s\n", handler->filename);
return 1;
}
// Read header
unsigned char header[12];
if (fread(header, 1, 12, file) != 12) {
printf("Invalid AXF file: too short\n");
fclose(file);
return 1;
}
if (strncmp((char*)header, "AXF\0", 4) != 0) {
printf("Invalid AXF file: wrong magic number\n");
fclose(file);
return 1;
}
handler->version = (header[4] << 24) | (header[5] << 16) | (header[6] << 8) | header[7];
handler->file_count = (header[8] << 24) | (header[9] << 16) | (header[10] << 8) | header[11];
handler->file_container = (char*)malloc(50);
snprintf(handler->file_container, 50, "Container with %d files", handler->file_count);
handler->self_describing = 1;
// Read metadata
unsigned int metadata_len;
fread(&metadata_len, 4, 1, file);
char* metadata_str = (char*)malloc(metadata_len + 1);
fread(metadata_str, 1, metadata_len, file);
metadata_str[metadata_len] = '\0';
// Parse metadata (split by ';')
handler->metadata_count = 1;
for (char* p = metadata_str; *p; p++) if (*p == ';') handler->metadata_count++;
handler->metadata = (char**)malloc(handler->metadata_count * sizeof(char*));
char* token = strtok(metadata_str, ";");
for (int i = 0; token; i++) {
handler->metadata[i] = strdup(token);
token = strtok(NULL, ";");
}
free(metadata_str);
// Read file list
handler->lightweight_filesystem = (char**)malloc(handler->file_count * sizeof(char*));
for (int i = 0; i < handler->file_count; i++) {
unsigned int name_len;
fread(&name_len, 4, 1, file);
handler->lightweight_filesystem[i] = (char*)malloc(name_len + 1);
fread(handler->lightweight_filesystem[i], 1, name_len, file);
handler->lightweight_filesystem[i][name_len] = '\0';
}
// Read checksum
fseek(file, -32, SEEK_END);
unsigned char checksum[32];
fread(checksum, 1, 32, file);
handler->checksum = (char*)malloc(65);
for (int i = 0; i < 32; i++) sprintf(handler->checksum + 2*i, "%02x", checksum[i]);
// Set other properties
handler->storage_media = strdup("Detected from file system");
handler->filesystem_abstraction = strdup("Universal view");
handler->media_footer = strdup("Present");
fclose(file);
return 0;
}
int write_axf(AXFHandler* handler, const char** files, int file_count, const char** metadata, int metadata_count) {
FILE* file = fopen(handler->filename, "wb");
if (!file) {
printf("Error writing AXF file: %s\n", handler->filename);
return 1;
}
// Write header
fwrite("AXF\0", 1, 4, file);
fwrite(&handler->version, 4, 1, file);
fwrite(&file_count, 4, 1, file);
// Write metadata
char* metadata_str = (char*)malloc(1024);
metadata_str[0] = '\0';
for (int i = 0; i < metadata_count; i++) {
strcat(metadata_str, metadata[i]);
if (i < metadata_count - 1) strcat(metadata_str, ";");
}
unsigned int metadata_len = strlen(metadata_str);
fwrite(&metadata_len, 4, 1, file);
fwrite(metadata_str, 1, metadata_len, file);
free(metadata_str);
// Write file list
for (int i = 0; i < file_count; i++) {
unsigned int name_len = strlen(files[i]);
fwrite(&name_len, 4, 1, file);
fwrite(files[i], 1, name_len, file);
}
// Write file contents
for (int i = 0; i < file_count; i++) {
FILE* src = fopen(files[i], "rb");
if (!src) continue;
char buffer[1024];
size_t bytes;
while ((bytes = fread(buffer, 1, 1024, src)) > 0) {
fwrite(buffer, 1, bytes, file);
}
fclose(src);
}
// Write checksum
fseek(file, 0, SEEK_SET);
unsigned char buffer[1024];
SHA256_CTX sha256;
SHA256_Init(&sha256);
size_t bytes;
while ((bytes = fread(buffer, 1, 1024, file)) > 0) {
SHA256_Update(&sha256, buffer, bytes);
}
unsigned char checksum[32];
SHA256_Final(checksum, &sha256);
fwrite(checksum, 1, 32, file);
handler->file_count = file_count;
handler->lightweight_filesystem = (char**)malloc(file_count * sizeof(char*));
for (int i = 0; i < file_count; i++) handler->lightweight_filesystem[i] = strdup(files[i]);
handler->metadata_count = metadata_count;
handler->metadata = (char**)malloc(metadata_count * sizeof(char*));
for (int i = 0; i < metadata_count; i++) handler->metadata[i] = strdup(metadata[i]);
handler->checksum = (char*)malloc(65);
for (int i = 0; i < 32; i++) sprintf(handler->checksum + 2*i, "%02x", checksum[i]);
fclose(file);
return 0;
}
void print_properties(AXFHandler* handler) {
printf("file_container: %s\n", handler->file_container ? handler->file_container : "null");
printf("lightweight_filesystem: ");
if (handler->lightweight_filesystem) {
for (int i = 0; i < handler->file_count; i++) {
printf("%s%s", handler->lightweight_filesystem[i], i < handler->file_count - 1 ? ", " : "");
}
} else {
printf("null");
}
printf("\n");
printf("self_describing: %d\n", handler->self_describing);
printf("metadata: ");
if (handler->metadata) {
for (int i = 0; i < handler->metadata_count; i++) {
printf("%s%s", handler->metadata[i], i < handler->metadata_count - 1 ? ", " : "");
}
} else {
printf("null");
}
printf("\n");
printf("immutable: %d\n", handler->immutable);
printf("storage_media: %s\n", handler->storage_media ? handler->storage_media : "null");
printf("filesystem_abstraction: %s\n", handler->filesystem_abstraction ? handler->filesystem_abstraction : "null");
printf("checksum: %s\n", handler->checksum ? handler->checksum : "null");
printf("version: %u\n", handler->version);
printf("media_footer: %s\n", handler->media_footer ? handler->media_footer : "null");
printf("interoperability: %d\n", handler->interoperability);
printf("preservation: %d\n", handler->preservation);
}
int main() {
AXFHandler* axf = create_axf_handler("example.axf");
const char* files[] = {"file1.txt", "file2.jpg"};
const char* metadata[] = {"creator=John", "date=2025-09-09"};
write_axf(axf, files, 2, metadata, 2);
open_axf(axf);
print_properties(axf);
free_axf_handler(axf);
return 0;
}
Notes:
- Uses OpenSSL for SHA-256 checksums; link with
-lcryptowhen compiling. - Follows the same hypothetical structure as other implementations.
- Memory management is manual; ensure proper cleanup to avoid leaks.
- Requires SMPTE specification for full AXF compliance.
General Notes
- AXF Specification Access: The full AXF specification (SMPTE ST 2034-1:2014 or ISO/IEC 12034-1:2017) is not freely available and requires purchase from SMPTE or ISO. The code above uses a simplified, hypothetical structure based on available descriptions.
- Limitations: Without access to the full specification or an AXF library, these implementations are illustrative. Real-world use would require parsing complex AXF object structures, including headers, footers, and metadata schemas.
- Alternative AXF Format: If you meant the Appearance eXchange Format (AxF) by X-Rite, it uses the HDF5 container format and focuses on material appearance data (e.g., textures, BRDF models). I can provide implementations for that format instead, using HDF5 libraries like
h5py(Python),HDF5(Java/C), orhdf5.js(JavaScript). - ARM AXF: The ARM RealView compiler’s .axf format is unrelated to file system operations and is unlikely to be the target here.
If you have access to the SMPTE/ISO specification or need code for a different AXF variant, please provide details, and I’ll refine the solution!