How to specify date ticks on plot

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Hi,
I'm trying to plot the attached csv file, but i am having problems creating a tidy x axis labels. Ideally, I would like a label to read: 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, starting on the earliest date for each year. However, despite trying to set my xtick using a string converted through datenum, I can't figure out how to achieve this result. My code, with the neatest labels I can manage, is attached, but this doesn't produce my desired labels. Any suggestions?
%plots the price of copper from https://www.macrotrends.net/1476/copper-prices-historical-chart-data
close all;
fid = fopen('copper-prices-historical-chart-data.csv');
if fid>0
% note how we skip the header lines and use the delimiter
data = textscan(fid,'%s %f','Delimiter',',','HeaderLines',16);
% close the file
fclose(fid);
startlim = datenum('07-Jan-2000');
endlim = datenum('31-Mar-2020');
date = data{1,1};
dn = datenum(date, 'yyyy-mm-dd');
price = data{1,2};
dateplot = dn(10141:end);
priceplot = price(10141:end);
plot(dateplot,priceplot);
xlim([startlim, endlim]);
xticks=get(gca,'xtick');
xtickangle(45);
set(gca,'xticklabel',cellstr(datestr(xticks))')
end
Thanks in advance.

Accepted Answer

Star Strider
Star Strider on 9 Mar 2020
Try this:
TCu = readtable('copper-prices-historical-chart-data.csv');
startlim = '07-Jan-2000';
endlim = '31-Mar-2020';
GetRows = isbetween(TCu.date, startlim, endlim);
figure
plot(TCu.date(GetRows), TCu.value(GetRows))
grid
xlim([datetime('01-Jan-2000') datetime('31-Dec-2020')])
xtickformat('yyyy')
xticks(datetime('01-Jan-2000') : calyears(4) : datetime('31-Dec-2020'))
producing:
The datetime functions require R2014b or later.
  2 Comments
Ted Baker
Ted Baker on 9 Mar 2020
Thank you very much for that example, Star Strider. It works perfectly.
Star Strider
Star Strider on 9 Mar 2020
As always, my pleasure!

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More Answers (1)

Adam Danz
Adam Danz on 9 Mar 2020
Convert your dates to datetime values using datetime().
Then use xtickformat('yyyy') to set the datetime format for the x-tick values.
  4 Comments
Ravi
Ravi on 8 Dec 2021
I have data which is time dependent but time data is not avaialble. I needed to plot this data with time so I created time loop with size matching up with the data size. I am able to get the plot but now I need to put in my desired time ticks on time axis. How can I do this ?
Adam Danz
Adam Danz on 8 Dec 2021
Is your time vector in datetime format? If not, convert it to datetime format and use that vector for your x-variable when plotting so the ticks are in datetime format.

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