issues with silx.io.specfile.SpecFile

[kklmn]

Hello,

With a few simple spec files in hand, I discover that the behavior of silx.io.specfile.SpecFile() unpredictably depends on the file content.

1. Should the file begin with a leading empty line? Experimenting with 'spec_test.dat' says yes, otherwise header lines of the last entry merge with those of the 1st entry. Experimenting with 'vasole_test0.dat' says no, because with an empty line SfErrFileRead is thrown.

2. The presence of a file header leads to a crash, with or without a leading empty line.

Please look at the files in the zip and possibly tell what could be wrong with them. Those with the trailing underline are with a leading empty line. spec_files.zip

I am interested in extracting the last entry from a large spec file. As of now, its header lines are either mixed with those of the first entry or I get a crash.

Here is my test script

from silx.io.specfile import SpecFile


def read_entry(fname, entry):
    sf = SpecFile(fname)
    entry = sf[entry]
    print(entry.header)
    return entry


if __name__ == "__main__":
    # data = read_entry('spec_test.dat', 0)  # ok
    # data = read_entry('spec_test.dat', -1)  # not ok, merges headers

    # data = read_entry('spec_test_.dat', 0)  # ok
    # data = read_entry('spec_test_.dat', -1)  # ok

    # without file header, without leading empty line
    # data = read_entry('vasole_test0.dat', 0)  # ok
    # data = read_entry('vasole_test0.dat', -1)  # ok

    # without file header, with leading empty line
    # data = read_entry('vasole_test0_.dat', 0)  # error

    # with file header
    # data = read_entry('vasole_test1.dat', 0)  # error
    # data = read_entry('vasole_test1_.dat', 0)  # error

    print('Done')

Thank you in advance!