# How to read TimeValues or write TimeStep
**URL:** https://discourse.vtk.org/t/how-to-read-timevalues-or-write-timestep/7439
**Category:** Support
**Tags:** file-formats
**Created:** [December 21, 2021, 6:18am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/how-to-read-timevalues-or-write-timestep/7439 "2021-12-21T06:18:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@olafx](https://discourse.vtk.org/u/olafx)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2021, 6:18am UTC](https://discourse.vtk.org/t/how-to-read-timevalues-or-write-timestep/7439/1 "2021-12-21T06:18:31Z")
I’m writing time dependent files using the `WriteTimeStep(time)` function. This makes a `TimeValues` array in the XML file of whatever times I give. The problem I’m having is that I can’t seem to access `TimeValues` with the reader, and I can’t find it in the information object either. I can access `TimeStep` just fine, but that’s not what I want since I can’t write `TimeStep` it seems.
Two things would solve my problem: being able to access `TimeValues` or, better yet, being able to explicitly write `TimeStep` values one at a time. Any ideas on how to do either of these?
Here’s an example of a file I generate. Notice the inconsistent `TimeValues` and `TimeStep`, which is what happens when using `WriteTimeStep(time)`.
```auto
...
```