Index: python/lib/gio.cxx
===================================================================
--- python/lib/gio.cxx	(revision bd84570ee06b44e0409f1ad472cd8c1d40af4086)
+++ python/lib/gio.cxx	(revision bd84570ee06b44e0409f1ad472cd8c1d40af4086)
@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+/*
+ *                    Copyright (C) 2015, UChicago Argonne, LLC
+ *                               All Rights Reserved
+ * 
+ *                               Generic IO (ANL-15-066)
+ *                     Hal Finkel, Argonne National Laboratory
+ * 
+ *                              OPEN SOURCE LICENSE
+ * 
+ * Under the terms of Contract No. DE-AC02-06CH11357 with UChicago Argonne,
+ * LLC, the U.S. Government retains certain rights in this software.
+ * 
+ * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+ * modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
+ * 
+ *   1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice,
+ *      this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+ * 
+ *   2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+ *      notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+ *      documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+ * 
+ *   3. Neither the names of UChicago Argonne, LLC or the Department of Energy
+ *      nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote
+ *      products derived from this software without specific prior written
+ *      permission.
+ * 
+ * *****************************************************************************
+ * 
+ *                                  DISCLAIMER
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS SUPPLIED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.  NEITHER THE
+ * UNTED STATES GOVERNMENT, NOR THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, NOR
+ * UCHICAGO ARGONNE, LLC, NOR ANY OF THEIR EMPLOYEES, MAKES ANY WARRANTY,
+ * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, OR ASSUMES ANY LEGAL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
+ * ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR USEFULNESS OF ANY INFORMATION, DATA, APPARATUS,
+ * PRODUCT, OR PROCESS DISCLOSED, OR REPRESENTS THAT ITS USE WOULD NOT INFRINGE
+ * PRIVATELY OWNED RIGHTS.
+ * 
+ * *****************************************************************************
+ */
+
+#include "gio.h"
+#include <iostream>
+
+  void read_gio_float(char* file_name, char* var_name, float* data){
+    read_gio<float>(file_name,var_name,data);
+  }
+  void read_gio_double(char* file_name, char* var_name, double* data){
+    read_gio<double>(file_name,var_name,data);
+  }
+  void read_gio_int32(char* file_name, char* var_name, int* data){
+    read_gio<int>(file_name,var_name,data);
+  }
+  void read_gio_int64(char* file_name, char* var_name, int64_t* data){
+    read_gio<int64_t>(file_name,var_name,data);
+  }
+  
+  int64_t get_elem_num(char* file_name){
+    gio::GenericIO reader(file_name);
+    reader.openAndReadHeader(gio::GenericIO::MismatchAllowed);
+    int num_ranks = reader.readNRanks();
+    uint64_t size = 0;
+    for(int i =0;i<num_ranks;++i)
+      size +=reader.readNumElems(i);
+    reader.close();
+    return size;
+  }
+
+  var_type get_variable_type(char* file_name,char* var_name){
+   gio::GenericIO reader(file_name);
+   std::vector<gio::GenericIO::VariableInfo> VI;
+   reader.openAndReadHeader(gio::GenericIO::MismatchAllowed);
+   reader.getVariableInfo(VI);
+
+   int num =VI.size();
+    for(int i =0;i<num;++i){
+      gio::GenericIO::VariableInfo vinfo = VI[i];
+      if(vinfo.Name == var_name){
+	if(vinfo.IsFloat && vinfo.Size == 4)
+	  return float_type;
+	else if(vinfo.IsFloat && vinfo.Size == 8)
+	  return double_type;
+	else if(!vinfo.IsFloat && vinfo.Size == 4)
+	  return int32_type;
+	else if(!vinfo.IsFloat && vinfo.Size == 8)
+	  return int64_type;
+	else
+	  return type_not_found;
+      }
+    }
+    return var_not_found;
+      
+  }
+
+extern "C" void inspect_gio(char* file_name){
+  int64_t size = get_elem_num(file_name);
+  gio::GenericIO reader(file_name);
+  std::vector<gio::GenericIO::VariableInfo> VI;
+  reader.openAndReadHeader(gio::GenericIO::MismatchAllowed);
+  reader.getVariableInfo(VI);
+  std::cout<<"Number of Elements: "<<size<<std::endl;
+  int num =VI.size();
+  std::cout<<"[data type] Variable name"<<std::endl;
+  std::cout<<"---------------------------------------------"<<std::endl;
+  for(int i =0;i<num;++i){
+    gio::GenericIO::VariableInfo vinfo = VI[i];
+
+    if(vinfo.IsFloat)
+      std::cout<<"[f";
+    else
+      std::cout<<"[i";
+    std::cout<<" "<<vinfo.Size*8<<"] ";
+    std::cout<<vinfo.Name<<std::endl;
+  }
+  std::cout<<"\n(i=integer,f=floating point, number bits size)"<<std::endl;
+}
+
