need to figure out variable length strings

README.md

@@ -2,3 +2,12 @@ shoebox
 =======
 
 binary data archiving library - supports uploading to object storage
+
+Requires PyTables, which needs (on ubuntu):
+
+sudo apt-get install libhdf5-serial-dev
+sudo pip install numpy
+sudo pip install numexpr
+sudo pip install cython 
+sudo pip install tables
+

learn_pytables.py

@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+import random
+
+import tables
+
+
+class KeyValue(tables.IsDescription):
+    key = tables.StringCol(itemsize=22, dflt=" ", pos=0)
+    value = tables.StringCol(itemsize=22, dflt=" ", pos=0)
+
+
+def make_notification():
+    return [
+            ("foo[0]", "thing"),
+            ("foo[1]", "stuff"),
+            ("foo[1].child", "ring"),
+            ("foo[2].child[0]", "ding"),
+            ("random", random.random()),
+        ]
+    
+# open a file in "w"rite mode
+fileh = tables.open_file("storeage.h5", mode = "w")
+
+root = fileh.root
+
+notifications = fileh.create_group(root, "notifications")
+notification = fileh.create_table(notifications, "notification", KeyValue)
+
+row = notification.row
+
+for i in xrange(10):
+    for k, v in make_notification():
+        row['key'] = k
+        row['value'] = v
+    row.append()
+
+notification.flush()
+
+fileh.close()