Convert matrix with 3 columns ([day month year]) into one string dd/mm/yyyy with each part taking value of one column

Hello everybody,

I have a matrix Nx3 called Date with 3 columns describing "random" dates. First column is day, second is month and third is year, like this :

1 3 1981

28 3 1982

23 3 1983

9 5 1984

27 3 1985

15 2 1986

19 2 1987

16 4 1988

20 3 1989

etc.

I want to write a vector with one single column that has the form :

01/03/1981

28/03/1982

23/03/1983

etc.

I tried to use the datestr() function like this :

datestr(Date,'dd/mm/yyyy')

but it returns me a vector of length Nx3 (i.e. size 3Nx1) :

'01/01/0000'

'28/01/0000'

'23/01/0000'

'09/01/0000'

'27/01/0000'

'15/01/0000'

'19/01/0000'

'16/01/0000'

'20/01/0000'

'02/01/0000'

etc.

I do not understand what is wrong with datestr().

Is there another function that would put all the 3 columns in one, and adding a zero in front of the numbers of days or months with only one digit (i.e. also write 1 as 01) ?

Cheers

Answer 1

[Arif Hoq]

try this:

A=[1	3	1981
28	3	1982
23	3	1983
9	5	1984
27	3	1985
15	2	1986
19	2	1987
16	4	1988
20	3	1989];
T=table(A(:,1),A(:,2),A(:,3));
B=string(A);
C=strcat(B(:,1),'/',B(:,2),'/',B(:,3));
D=datetime(C,'format','dd/M/yyyy')

D = 9×1 datetime array
   01/3/1981
   28/3/1982
   23/3/1983
   09/5/1984
   27/3/1985
   15/2/1986
   19/2/1987
   16/4/1988
   20/3/1989

[Loriann Chevalier]

It works perfectly, thank you very much :)