datetime() does not return time data

Hello all,

I just noticed a bug in my code that my datetime function is not converting time data from the character string.

My code is the following:

DTstart = datetime("2021-11-16 11:48:00", "InputFormat","yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss");

This has worked on all versions of matlab without fail. However, I just updated to 2022b. Now when I run this, instead of getting:

DTstart = 

    datetime

    16/11/2021 11:48:00
    

I get simply:

DTstart = 
    
    datetime
    
    16/11/2021

This is causing a HUGE headache in my code. I need to look at thing by the second. It doesn't matter if I run the text as a string or a character. Everytime I try to search for an alternative, I just get redirected to the datetime function. Can someone please explain to me why this function is no longer working, or perhaps suggest an alternative?

Answer 1

[Steven Lord]

In the Preferences, expand the MATLAB item in the tree. Select the Command Window item. What does it list for the default datetime display formats? Did you accidentally change the default?

[Emily T. Griffiths]

Oh my goodness. Thank you so much. I wasn't aware this could change. Like I said, I just updated, so perhaps I clicked something during the install. Relieved to know the data is still there!

[Steven Lord]

Even if you'd changed the display format, the data was still present in the variable.

DTstart = datetime("2021-11-16 11:48:00", ...
    "InputFormat","yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss", ...
    'Format', 'yyyy-MM-dd')

DTstart = datetime
   2021-11-16

You can see this by asking for the time of day stored in DTstart.

timeofday(DTstart)

ans = duration
   11:48:00

Answer 2

[Voss]

Try specifying the Format (in addition to the InputFormat):

DTstart = datetime("2021-11-16 11:48:00","InputFormat","yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss",'Format','dd/MM/yyyy')

DTstart = datetime
   16/11/2021

DTstart = datetime("2021-11-16 11:48:00","InputFormat","yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss",'Format','dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss')

DTstart = datetime
   16/11/2021 11:48:00

[Emily T. Griffiths]

I had tried this, but as seen above, it was a display issue. :)