`datestr`

Date and time as formatted text.

Category: Language Fundamentals > Data Types

Syntax

s = datestr(D)

Formats date numbers or datetimes with a default format.

s = datestr(D, format)

Uses a format name, number or pattern such as 'yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM'.

Description

When the date has a nonzero time of day, the default format is 'dd-mmm-yyyy HH:MM:SS'; when the time is exactly midnight it is 'dd-mmm-yyyy'. In a pattern, mm means month and MM minutes, so case matters.

New code usually calls char(t) or string(t) on a datetime, or sets its Format property.

Input arguments

D: Date number from datenum, date vector, datetime, or date text.
format: Format number (0 to 31) or pattern with yyyy, mm, mmm, dd, HH, MM, SS.

Output arguments

s: Char array, one row per date.

Example

Default and custom formats

n = datenum(2020,1,2,3,4,5);
datestr(n)
datestr(n, 'yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM')
datestr(n, 29)

Output

ans = '02-Jan-2020 03:04:05'
ans = '2020-01-02 03:04'
ans = '2020-01-02'

datestr