diff --git a/tools/lib/h5tools_dump.c b/tools/lib/h5tools_dump.c
index c1427d6dea5..e1fab359145 100644
--- a/tools/lib/h5tools_dump.c
+++ b/tools/lib/h5tools_dump.c
@@ -2571,7 +2571,7 @@ h5tools_print_datatype(FILE *stream, h5tools_str_t *buffer, const h5tool_format_
             if (H5Tclose(super) < 0)
                 H5TOOLS_ERROR((-1), "H5Tclose failed");
 
-            h5tools_str_append(buffer, "%s", h5tools_dump_header_format->vlenblockend);
+            h5tools_str_append(buffer, " %s", h5tools_dump_header_format->vlenblockend);
 
             break;
 
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tarray6.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tarray6.ddl
index 5c49b0ff931..343002b7cd5 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tarray6.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tarray6.ddl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 HDF5 "tarray6.h5" {
 GROUP "/" {
    DATASET "Dataset1" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE} }
+      DATATYPE  H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE } }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
       DATA {
       (0): [ (0), (10, 11), (20, 21, 22), (30, 31, 32, 33) ],
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tarray7.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tarray7.ddl
index 229d719dc6c..cc537d70c87 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tarray7.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tarray7.ddl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 HDF5 "tarray7.h5" {
 GROUP "/" {
    DATASET "Dataset1" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_VLEN { H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_STD_U32LE }} }
+      DATATYPE  H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_VLEN { H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_STD_U32LE } } }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
       DATA {
       (0): [ ([ 0, 1, 2, 3 ]),
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tempty.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tempty.ddl
index 0c24334e0c9..5797d48126e 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tempty.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tempty.ddl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 HDF5 "tempty.h5" {
 GROUP "/" {
    DATASET "Dataset1.0" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
       DATA {
       (0): (), (), (), ()
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tfill.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tfill.ddl
index 556f4f232b1..627e6606155 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tfill.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tfill.ddl
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ GROUP "/" {
       }
    }
    DATASET "fill_vlen" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 2 ) / ( 2 ) }
       STORAGE_LAYOUT {
          CONTIGUOUS
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tmultifile.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tmultifile.ddl
index cf94f2c061a..ebe1608dd3a 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tmultifile.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tmultifile.ddl
@@ -30,13 +30,13 @@ DATASET "Dataset1" {
 }
 HDF5 "tarray6.h5" {
 DATASET "Dataset1" {
-   DATATYPE  H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE} }
+   DATATYPE  H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE } }
    DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
 }
 }
 HDF5 "tarray7.h5" {
 DATASET "Dataset1" {
-   DATATYPE  H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_VLEN { H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_STD_U32LE }} }
+   DATATYPE  H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_VLEN { H5T_ARRAY { [4] H5T_STD_U32LE } } }
    DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
 }
 }
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/treference.ddl b/tools/testfiles/treference.ddl
index 6d3849816d1..1145b256cb5 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/treference.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/treference.ddl
@@ -427,14 +427,14 @@ GROUP "/" {
       }
    }
    ATTRIBUTE "vlen" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 2 ) / ( 2 ) }
       DATA {
       (0): (1), (2, 3)
       }
    }
    ATTRIBUTE "vlen2D" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 3, 2 ) / ( 3, 2 ) }
       DATA {
       (0,0): (0), (1),
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ GROUP "/" {
       }
    }
    ATTRIBUTE "vlen3D" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4, 3, 2 ) / ( 4, 3, 2 ) }
       DATA {
       (0,0,0): (0), (1),
@@ -1039,14 +1039,14 @@ GROUP "/" {
          }
       }
       ATTRIBUTE "vlen" {
-         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
          DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 2 ) / ( 2 ) }
          DATA {
          (0): (1), (2, 3)
          }
       }
       ATTRIBUTE "vlen2D" {
-         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
          DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 3, 2 ) / ( 3, 2 ) }
          DATA {
          (0,0): (0), (1),
@@ -1055,7 +1055,7 @@ GROUP "/" {
          }
       }
       ATTRIBUTE "vlen3D" {
-         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
          DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4, 3, 2 ) / ( 4, 3, 2 ) }
          DATA {
          (0,0,0): (0), (1),
@@ -1501,14 +1501,14 @@ GROUP "/" {
          }
       }
       ATTRIBUTE "vlen" {
-         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
          DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 2 ) / ( 2 ) }
          DATA {
          (0): (1), (2, 3)
          }
       }
       ATTRIBUTE "vlen2D" {
-         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
          DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 3, 2 ) / ( 3, 2 ) }
          DATA {
          (0,0): (0), (1),
@@ -1517,7 +1517,7 @@ GROUP "/" {
          }
       }
       ATTRIBUTE "vlen3D" {
-         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
          DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4, 3, 2 ) / ( 4, 3, 2 ) }
          DATA {
          (0,0,0): (0), (1),
@@ -2109,14 +2109,14 @@ GROUP "/" {
          }
       }
       DATASET "vlen" {
-         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
          DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 2 ) / ( 2 ) }
          DATA {
          (0): (1), (2, 3)
          }
       }
       DATASET "vlen2D" {
-         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
          DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 3, 2 ) / ( 3, 2 ) }
          DATA {
          (0,0): (0), (1),
@@ -2125,7 +2125,7 @@ GROUP "/" {
          }
       }
       DATASET "vlen3D" {
-         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+         DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
          DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4, 3, 2 ) / ( 4, 3, 2 ) }
          DATA {
          (0,0,0): (0), (1),
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes1.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes1.ddl
index 1ebb9154c25..bdf93289c5b 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes1.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes1.ddl
@@ -1,21 +1,21 @@
 HDF5 "tvldtypes1.h5" {
 GROUP "/" {
    DATASET "Dataset1.0" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
       DATA {
       (0): (0), (10, 11), (20, 21, 22), (30, 31, 32, 33)
       }
    }
    DATASET "Dataset2.0" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_IEEE_F32LE}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_IEEE_F32LE }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
       DATA {
       (0): (0), (10, 10.1), (20, 20.1, 20.2), (30, 30.1, 30.2, 30.3)
       }
    }
    DATASET "Dataset3.0" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_I32LE }
       DATASPACE  SCALAR
       DATA {
       (0): (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72)
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes2.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes2.ddl
index 93be8627d79..5a91187dc05 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes2.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes2.ddl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 HDF5 "tvldtypes2.h5" {
 GROUP "/" {
    DATASET "Dataset1" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE}}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE } }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
       DATA {
       (0): ((0)), ((100), (110, 111)), ((200), (210, 211), (220, 221, 222)),
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes3.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes3.ddl
index 3af926839f4..b8f53c96749 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes3.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes3.ddl
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ GROUP "/" {
       DATATYPE  H5T_COMPOUND {
          H5T_STD_I32LE "i";
          H5T_IEEE_F32LE "f";
-         H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE} "v";
+         H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE } "v";
       }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
       DATA {
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes4.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes4.ddl
index b1ca394ef01..da363fa26cb 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes4.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes4.ddl
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ GROUP "/" {
       DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_COMPOUND {
          H5T_STD_I32LE "i";
          H5T_IEEE_F32LE "f";
-      }}
+      } }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
       DATA {
       (0): ({
diff --git a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes5.ddl b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes5.ddl
index b4bf3db776e..b0f8a2c9cf1 100644
--- a/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes5.ddl
+++ b/tools/testfiles/tvldtypes5.ddl
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 HDF5 "tvldtypes5.h5" {
 GROUP "/" {
    DATASET "Dataset" {
-      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE}
+      DATATYPE  H5T_VLEN { H5T_STD_U32LE }
       DATASPACE  SIMPLE { ( 4 ) / ( 4 ) }
       DATA {
       (0): (0, 2, 4, 6, 8), (), (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12), ()