MATLAB® has many functions to convert values from one data type to
another for use in different contexts. For example, you can convert numbers
to text and then append them to plot labels or file names. You can represent
numbers as their hexadecimal or binary values. MATLAB provides functions for conversions between numeric arrays,
strings and character arrays, and categorical
,
datetime
, and duration
arrays.
Also, you can convert between the data types that group data in containers,
such as cell arrays, structures, tables, and timetables. In those cases, the
data values remain the same, but they are stored and accessed in a different
type of container.
Convert Text to Numeric Values
Convert text to arrays of numeric values. Text can represent floating-point values, dates and times, and hexadecimal and binary numbers. If text represents dates and times, then you can convert the text to datetime or duration values.
Convert Numeric Values to Text
Convert numeric values to text. Text can represent floating-point values, either with or without exponential notation, or hexadecimal or binary digits. Use these conversions to add numbers to text such as plot labels or titles.
MATLAB stores all characters as Unicode characters. Both strings and character vectors use the same encoding. You can convert characters to their Unicode code values, and numbers to characters.
Specify hexadecimal and binary values either as literals or as text. Hexadecimal and binary literals are stored as integers. You can convert text representing hexadecimal and binary values to numbers, and numbers to text representations.
Convert Between Datetime Arrays, Numbers, and Text
While datetime
is the recommended
data type for representing points in time, you might need to work
with dates and time stored as date strings, date vectors, and serial
date numbers.
Convert Text in Table Variables to Categorical
This example shows how to convert a variable in a table from a cell array of character vectors to a categorical array.
Valid Combinations of Unlike Classes
If you include elements of unlike classes in a matrix, MATLAB converts some elements so that all elements of the resulting matrix are of the same type. Data type conversion is done with respect to a preset precedence of classes.