datestr (Financial Toolbox)

Create date string

Syntax

DateString = datestr(Date, DateForm)
DateString = datestr(Date, DateForm, Pivot)
DateString = datestr(Date)

Description

DateString = datestr(Date, DateForm) converts a date number or a date string to a date string. DateForm specifies the format of DateString. Date strings with two-character years, e.g., 12-june-12, are assumed to lie within the 100-year period centered about the current year.

DateString = datestr(Date, DateForm, Pivot) assumes that two-character years lie within the 100-year period beginning with the pivot year. The default pivot year is the current year minus 50 years.

Note MATLAB's internal date handling and calculations generate no ambiguous values. However, whenever possible, programmers should use date strings containing four-digit years or serial date numbers.

DateString = datestr(Date) assumes DateForm is 1, 16, or 0 depending on whether the date number Date contains a date, time, or both, respectively. If Date is a date string, the function assumes DateForm is 1.

DateForm
Format
Example

0
'dd-mmm-yyyy HH:MM:SS'
01-Mar-2000 15:45:17

1
'dd-mmm-yyyy'
01-Mar-2000

2
'mm/dd/yy'
03/01/00

3
'mmm'
Mar

4
'm'
M

5
'mm'
03

6
'mm/dd'
03/01

7
'dd'
01

8
'ddd'
Wed

9
'd'
W

10
'yyyy'
2000

11
'yy'
00

12
'mmmyy'
Mar00

13
'HH:MM:SS'
15:45:17

14
'HH:MM:SS PM'
3:45:17 PM

15
'HH:MM'
15:45

16
'HH:MM PM'
3:45 PM

17
'QQ-YY'
Q1-01

18
'QQ'
Q1

19
'dd/mm'
01/03

20
'dd/mm/yy'
01/03/00

21
'mmm.dd.yyyy HH:MM:SS'
Mar.01,2000 15:45:17

22
'mmm.dd.yyyy'
Mar.01.2000

23
'mm/dd/yyyy'
03/01/2000

24
'dd/mm/yyyy'
01/03/2000

25
'yy/mm/dd'
00/03/01

26
'yyyy/mm/dd'
2000/03/01

27
'QQ-YYYY'
Q1-2001

28
'mmmyyyy'
Mar2000

DateForm	Format	Example
`0`	`'dd-mmm-yyyy HH:MM:SS'`	`01-Mar-2000 15:45:17`
`1`	`'dd-mmm-yyyy'`	`01-Mar-2000`
`2`	`'mm/dd/yy'`	`03/01/00`
`3`	`'mmm'`	`Mar`
`4`	`'m'`	`M`
`5`	`'mm'`	`03`
`6`	`'mm/dd'`	`03/01`
`7`	`'dd'`	`01`
`8`	`'ddd'`	`Wed`
`9`	`'d'`	`W`
`10`	`'yyyy'`	`2000`
`11`	`'yy'`	`00`
`12`	`'mmmyy'`	`Mar00`
`13`	`'HH:MM:SS'`	`15:45:17`
`14`	`'HH:MM:SS PM'`	`3:45:17 PM`
`15`	`'HH:MM'`	`15:45`
`16`	`'HH:MM PM'`	`3:45 PM`
`17`	`'QQ-YY'`	`Q1-01`
`18`	`'QQ'`	`Q1`
`19`	`'dd/mm'`	`01/03`
`20`	`'dd/mm/yy'`	`01/03/00`
`21`	`'mmm.dd.yyyy HH:MM:SS'`	`Mar.01,2000 15:45:17`
`22`	`'mmm.dd.yyyy'`	`Mar.01.2000`
`23`	`'mm/dd/yyyy'`	`03/01/2000`
`24`	`'dd/mm/yyyy'`	`01/03/2000`
`25`	`'yy/mm/dd'`	`00/03/01`
`26`	`'yyyy/mm/dd'`	`2000/03/01`
`27`	`'QQ-YYYY'`	`Q1-2001`
`28`	`'mmmyyyy'`	`Mar2000`

Note This function now ships with basic MATLAB. It originally shipped only with the Financial Toolbox. This description remains here for your convenience.

Examples

DateString = datestr(730123, 1)
DateString = 03-Jan-1999

DateString = datestr(730123, 2)
DateString = 01/03/99

DateString = datestr(730123, 12)
DateString = Jan99

DateString = datestr(730123.776, 0)
DateString = 03-Jan-1999 18:37:26

DateString = datestr('1/03', 1) (assuming the current year is 1999)
DateString = 03-Jan-1999

DateString = datestr(730123)
DateString = 03-Jan-1999

DateString = datestr([730123 730154 730182 730213 730243 730274])
DateString =
03-Jan-1999
03-Feb-1999
03-Mar-1999
03-Apr-1999
03-May-1999
03-Jun-1999

DateString = datestr('1/03')
DateString = 03-Jan-1999 (assuming the current year is 1999)

See Also

dateaxis, datedisp, datenum, datevec, daysact, now, today

datenum datevec