Tables

Arrays in tabular form whose named columns can have different types

table is a data type suitable for column-oriented or tabular data that is often stored as columns in a text file or in a spreadsheet. Tables consist of rows and column-oriented variables. Each variable in a table can have a different data type and a different size with the one restriction that each variable must have the same number of rows. For more information, see Create and Work with Tables or watch Tables and Categorical Arrays.

Functions

expand all

Create Tables and Convert Type

`table`	Table array with named variables that can contain different types
`array2table`	Convert homogeneous array to table
`cell2table`	Convert cell array to table
`struct2table`	Convert structure array to table
`table2array`	Convert table to homogeneous array
`table2cell`	Convert table to cell array
`table2struct`	Convert table to structure array
`table2timetable`	Convert table to timetable
`timetable2table`	Convert timetable to table

Read and Write Files

Basic Import and Export

`readtable`	Create table from file
`writetable`	Write table to file

Define Import Rules

`detectImportOptions`	Create import options based on file content
`spreadsheetImportOptions`	Import options object for Spreadsheets
`getvaropts`	Get variable import options
`setvaropts`	Set variable import options
`setvartype`	Set variable data types
`preview`	Preview eight rows from file using import options

Summary Information and Stacked Plot

`head`	Get top rows of table, timetable, or tall array
`tail`	Get bottom rows of table, timetable, or tall array
`summary`	Print summary of table, timetable, or categorical array
`height`	Number of table rows
`width`	Number of table variables
`istable`	Determine whether input is table
`stackedplot`	Stacked plot of several variables with common x-axis

Sort, Rearrange, and Customize

Sort

`sortrows`	Sort rows of matrix or table
`unique`	Unique values in array
`issortedrows`	Determine if matrix or table rows are sorted
`topkrows`	Top rows in sorted order

Rearrange Variables

`addvars`	Add variables to table or timetable
`renamevars`	Rename variables in table or timetable
`movevars`	Move variables in table or timetable
`removevars`	Delete variables from table or timetable
`convertvars`	Convert table or timetable variables to specified data type
`splitvars`	Split multicolumn variables in table or timetable
`mergevars`	Combine table or timetable variables into multicolumn variable
`vartype`	Subscript into table or timetable by variable type

Reshape

`rows2vars`	Reorient table or timetable so that rows become variables
`stack`	Stack data from multiple variables into single variable
`unstack`	Unstack data from single variable into multiple variables
`inner2outer`	Invert nested table-in-table hierarchy in tables or timetables

Customize Properties

`addprop`	Add custom properties to table or timetable
`rmprop`	Remove custom properties from table or timetable

Join and Set Operations

Join Using Key Variables

`join`	Combine two tables or timetables by rows using key variables
`innerjoin`	Inner join between two tables or timetables
`outerjoin`	Outer join between two tables or timetables

Set Operations

`union`	Set union of two arrays
`intersect`	Set intersection of two arrays
`ismember`	Array elements that are members of set array
`setdiff`	Set difference of two arrays
`setxor`	Set exclusive OR of two arrays

Missing Values

`ismissing`	Find missing values
`standardizeMissing`	Insert standard missing values
`rmmissing`	Remove missing entries
`fillmissing`	Fill missing values

Apply Functions to Table Contents

`varfun`	Apply function to table or timetable variables
`rowfun`	Apply function to table or timetable rows
`findgroups`	Find groups and return group numbers
`splitapply`	Split data into groups and apply function
`groupsummary`	Group summary computations

Live Editor Tasks

Join Tables	Combine two tables using key variables in the Live Editor
Stack Table Variables	Combine values from multiple table variables into one table variable in the Live Editor
Unstack Table Variables	Distribute values from one table variable to multiple table variables in the Live Editor

Topics

Advantages of Using Tables

Use tables to store mixed-type data conveniently, access data with numeric or named indexing, and to store metadata.

Create and Work with Tables

This example shows how to create a table from workspace variables, work with table data, and write tables to files for later use.

Access Data in Tables

Indexing into tables with parentheses, dot notation, and curly braces accesses table data in different ways. You can use indexing to create a table that is a subset of a larger table or to create an array from data in a table.

Calculations on Tables

This example shows how to perform calculation on tables.

Changes to DimensionNames Property in R2016b

Tables can raise compatibility warnings, and change dimension names, when you modify the DimensionNames property.