MATLAB Functions Help Desk

datetick

Purpose

Label tick lines using dates

Syntax

Description

datetick(tickaxis) labels the tick lines of an axis using dates, replacing the default numeric labels. tickaxis is the string 'x', 'y', or 'z'. The default is 'x'. datetick selects a label format based on the minimum and maximum limits of the specified axis.

datetick(tickaxis,dateform) formats the labels according to the integer dateform (see table). To produce correct results, the data for the specified axis must be serial date numbers (as produced by datenum).

Dateform

Format

Example

0

day-month-year hour:minute

01-Mar-1995 03:45

1

day-month-year

01-Mar-1995

2

month/day/year

03/01/95

3

month, three letters

Mar

4

month, single letter

M

5

month, numeral

3

6

month/day

03/01

7

day of month

1

8

day of week, three letters

Wed

9

day of week, single letter

W

10

year, four digit

1995

11

year, two digit

95

12

month year

Mar95

13

hour:minute:second

15:45:17

14

hour:minute:second AM or PM

03:45:17

15

hour:minute

15:45

16

hour:minute AM or PM

03:45 PM

Remarks

datetick calls datestr to convert date numbers to date strings.

To change the tick spacing and locations, set the appropriate Axes property (i.e., XTick, YTick, or ZTick) before calling datetick.

Example

Consider graphing population data based on the 1990 U.S. census:

See Also

The Axes properties XTick, YTick, and ZTick.

The datenum and datestr functions in the MATLAB Language Reference Guide.



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