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Data Type Conversion


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.


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Convert Numbers to Text

stringString array
charCharacter array
cellstrConvert to cell array of character vectors
int2strConvert integers to characters
mat2strConvert matrix to characters
num2strConvert numbers to character array

Convert Text to Numbers

str2doubleConvert strings to double precision values
str2numConvert character array or string to numeric array
native2unicodeConvert numeric bytes to Unicode character representation
unicode2nativeConvert Unicode character representation to numeric bytes
base2decConvert text representation of base-n integer to double value
bin2decConvert text representation of binary integer to double value
dec2baseConvert decimal integer to its base-n representation
dec2binConvert decimal integer to its binary representation
dec2hexConvert decimal integer to its hexadecimal representation
hex2decConvert text representation of hexadecimal integer to double value
hex2numConvert IEEE hexadecimal format to double-precision number
num2hexConvert single- and double-precision numbers to IEEE hexadecimal format

Convert Values to Dates and Times

datetimeArrays that represent points in time
durationLengths of time in fixed-length units

Convert Dates and Times to Text

stringString array
charCharacter array
cellstrConvert to cell array of character vectors

Categorical Arrays

categoricalArray that contains values assigned to categories


table2arrayConvert table to homogeneous array
table2cellConvert table to cell array
table2structConvert table to structure array
array2tableConvert homogeneous array to table
cell2tableConvert cell array to table
struct2tableConvert structure array to table


array2timetableConvert homogeneous array to timetable
table2timetableConvert table to timetable
timetable2tableConvert timetable to table
cell2matConvert cell array to ordinary array of the underlying data type
cell2structConvert cell array to structure array
mat2cellConvert array to cell array whose cells contain subarrays
num2cellConvert array to cell array with consistently sized cells
struct2cellConvert structure to cell array


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.

Unicode and ASCII Values

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.

Hexadecimal and Binary Values


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.