code: def to_hdf(path_or_buf, key, value, mode=None, complevel=None, complib=None,
             append=None, **kwargs):
      
  
      if append:
          f = lambda store: store.append(key, value, **kwargs)
      else:
          f = lambda store: store.put(key, value, **kwargs)
  
      path_or_buf = _stringify_path(path_or_buf)
      if isinstance(path_or_buf, str):
          with HDFStore(path_or_buf, mode=mode, complevel=complevel,
                        complib=complib) as store:
              f(store)
      else:
          f(path_or_buf)
docs: store this object, close it if we opened it