VHIST Users' Guide

The VHIST [1], [2], [3] project defines a file format suitable for documenting workflows. VHIST files can store meta-data about the workflow and allow to embed arbitrary binary data, such as images or log files, into the documentation. Embedded data can be validated and extracted using multiple facilities. VHIST files are self-describing and compatible to PDF and other open standards and can therefore be viewed with any PDF browser. VHIST is particulary suited as an meta-image format in the context of multi-modality and functional imaging, however, it is not limited to this use-case.

The platform independent open-source reference implementation of VHIST supports all essential features needed to work with VHIST. VHIST can be used on top of existing workflows without the need to change major applications. Please refer to the VHIST white paper [4] for more information on the general concept and the specification. This User's Guide focuses on how to use the reference implementation.