MATLAB®

Importing and Exporting Data

The first step in analyzing data is to import it into the MATLAB^® workspace. The Programming Fundamentals documentation provides detailed information about supported data formats and the functions for importing data into the MATLAB workspace.

The easiest way to import data is to use the MATLAB Import Wizard, described in the Programming Fundamentals documentation. With the Import Wizard, you can import the following types of data sources:

• Text files, such as .txt and .dat

• MAT-files

• Spreadsheet files, such as .xls

• Graphics files, such as .gif and .jpg

• Audio and video files, such as .avi and .wav

The MATLAB Import Wizard processes the data source and recognizes data delimiters, as well as row or column headers, to facilitate the process of data selection.

After you finish analyzing your data, you might have created new variables. You can export these variables to a variety of file formats. The Programming Fundamentals documentation also describes how to export data from the MATLAB workspace.

When working with time series data, it is easiest to use the Time Series Tools GUI to import the data and create timeseries objects. The Import Wizard in Time Series Tools also makes it easy to import or define a time vector for your data.

Data Processing

Plotting Data