datenum

Return the date/time input as a serial day number.

Syntax

• d = datetnum(datevec)

• d = datenum(datestr)

• d = datenum(datestr, format)

• d = datenum(datestr, pivotYear)

• d = datenum(DateString,format,pivotYear)

• d = datetnum(Y, M, D)

• d = datetnum(Y, M, D, H, MN, S)

Input argument

• datevec - a vector: [Y, M, D, H, MN, S] or matrix N x 6.

• format - a string specifying the date format, or leave it empty ('') for automatic format detection.

• datestr - a string, cell of string or string array: text representing a date.

• Y, M, D, H, MN, S - double: Year, Month, Day, Hours, Minutes, Secondes (scalar or vector).

• pivotYear: Start year of 100-year date range - integer value or present minus 50 years (default).

Output argument

• d - a double: serial date number (serial day 1 corresponds to 1-Jan-0000).

Description

d = datenum() returns the serial date number corresponding to current date.

d = datenum(datevec) converts date vector to serial date number.

d = datenum(datestr) and d = datenum(datestr, format) converts string to serial date number.

Supported format conversion:

dd-mmm-yyyy HH:MM:SS 10-Mar-2010 16:48:17

dd-mmm-yyyy 10-Mar-2010

mm/dd/yyyy 03/10/2010

mm/dd/yy 03/10/00

mm/dd 03/10

mmm.dd,yyyy HH:MM:SS Mar.10,2010 16:48:17

mmm.dd,yyyy Mar.10,2010

yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM:SS 2010-03-10 16:48:17

yyyy-mm-dd 2010-03-10

yyyy/mm/dd 2000/03/10

HH:MM:SS 16:48:17

HH:MM:SS PM 3:48:17 PM

HH:MM 16:48

HH:MM PM 3:35 PM

If format is not specified, the default format is dd-mmm-yyyy.

If format is specified and not using predefined format, the format must be specified as a character vector or string scalar composed of symbolic identifiers.

The format of the input text for representing dates and times, expressed as a character vector or string scalar composed of symbolic identifiers.

Symbolic Identifier	Description	Example
yyyy	Year in full	1995, 2012
yy	Year in two digits	89, 01
QQ	Quarter year using letter Q and one digit	Q1
mmmm	Month using full name	March, December
mmm	Month using first three letters	Mar, Dec
mm	Month in two digits	04, 12
m	Month using capitalized first letter	M, D
dddd	Day using full name	Monday, Tuesday
ddd	Day using first three letters	Mon, Tue
dd	Day in two digits	06, 21
d	Day using capitalized first letter	M, T
HH	Hour in two digits (no leading zeros when symbolic identifier AM or PM is used)	06, 6 AM
MM	Minute in two digits	11, 01
SS	Second in two digits	06, 59
FFF	Millisecond in three digits	056
AM or PM	AM or PM inserted in text representing time	5:46:02 PM

Example

d = datenum([1973,8,4,12,1,18])
datevec(d)
d = datenum('04–Aug-1973 12:01:18')
d = datenum(["04–Aug-1973 12:01:18"; "04–Aug-1974 11:01:18"])

See also

datevec.

History

Version	Description
1.0.0	initial version
1.8.0	date string parsing extended.
1.10.0	added: format '' means try to detect.

Author

Allan CORNET