# PetscViewerHDF5GetBaseDimension2
Vectors of 1 dimension (i.e. bs/dof is 1) will be saved in the HDF5 file with a dimension of 2. 
## Synopsis
```
#include "petscviewerhdf5.h" 
PetscErrorCode PetscViewerHDF5GetBaseDimension2(PetscViewer viewer, PetscBool *flg)
```
Logically Collective


## Input Parameter

- ***viewer -*** the `PetscViewer`, must be `PETSCVIEWERHDF5`



## Output Parameter

- ***flg -*** if `PETSC_TRUE` the vector will always have at least a dimension of 2 even if that first dimension is of size 1



## Note
Setting this option allegedly makes code that reads the HDF5 in easier since they do not have a "special case" of a bs/dof
of one when the dimension is lower. Others think the option is crazy.




## See Also
 [](sec_viewers), `PETSCVIEWERHDF5`, `PetscViewerFileSetMode()`, `PetscViewerCreate()`, `PetscViewerSetType()`, `PetscViewerBinaryOpen()`

## Level
intermediate

## Location
<A HREF="PETSC_DOC_OUT_ROOT_PLACEHOLDER/src/sys/classes/viewer/impls/hdf5/hdf5v.c.html#PetscViewerHDF5GetBaseDimension2">src/sys/classes/viewer/impls/hdf5/hdf5v.c</A>


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[Edit on GitLab](https://gitlab.com/petsc/petsc/-/edit/release/src/sys/classes/viewer/impls/hdf5/hdf5v.c)


[Index of all Viewer routines](index.md)  
[Table of Contents for all manual pages](/docs/manualpages/index.md)  
[Index of all manual pages](/docs/manualpages/singleindex.md)  
