code: def index(self):
          
  
          self._index = _C.SDfindattr(self._obj._id, self._name)
          _checkErr('find', self._index, 'illegal attribute name')
          return self._index
docs: Retrieve the attribute index number.
  
          Args::
  
            no argument
  
          Returns::
  
            attribute index number (starting at 0)
  
          C library equivalent : SDfindattr