cellstr

Convert to cell array of character vectors

Syntax

C = cellstr(A)

C = cellstr(D,datefmt)

C = cellstr(D,datefmt,locale)

Description

Convert Arrays

C = cellstr(A) converts A to a cell array of character vectors. For instance, if A is a string, "foo", C is a cell array containing a character vector, {'foo'}.

example

Convert Dates and Times

C = cellstr(D,datefmt), where D is a datetime or duration array, applies the specified format, such as "HH:mm:ss".

example

C = cellstr(D,datefmt,locale) specifies the locale, such as "en_US".

example

Examples

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Convert String Array to Cell Array

Open Live Script

You can create string arrays to contain multiple pieces of text. However, you might need to use functions that accept cell arrays of character vectors as input arguments, and that do not accept string arrays. To pass data from a string array to such functions, use the cellstr function to convert the string array to a cell array of character vectors.

Create a string array. You can create strings using double quotes.

A = ["Past","Present","Future"]

A = 1×3 string
    "Past"    "Present"    "Future"

Convert the string array to a 1-by-3 cell array of character vectors.

C = cellstr(A)

C = 1×3 cell
    {'Past'}    {'Present'}    {'Future'}

Convert Character Array to Cell Array

Open Live Script

Create a character array. Include trailing spaces so that each row has the same length, resulting in a 3-by-4 array.

A = ['abc ';'defg';'hi  ']

A = 3×4 char array
    'abc '
    'defg'
    'hi  '

class(A)

ans = 
'char'

Convert the character array to a 3-by-1 cell array of character vectors.

C = cellstr(A)

C = 3×1 cell
    {'abc' }
    {'defg'}
    {'hi'  }

class(C)

ans = 
'cell'

Convert Calendar Duration Array to Cell Array

Open Live Script

Create a calendarDuration array.

D = calmonths(15:17) + caldays(8) + hours(1.2345)

D = 1×3 calendarDuration
   1y 3mo 8d 1h 14m 4.2s   1y 4mo 8d 1h 14m 4.2s   1y 5mo 8d 1h 14m 4.2s

Convert the array to a cell array of character vectors.

C = cellstr(D)

C = 1×3 cell
    {'1y 3mo 8d 1h 14m 4.2s'}    {'1y 4mo 8d 1h 14m 4.2s'}    {'1y 5mo 8d 1h 14m 4.2s'}

class(C)

ans = 
'cell'

Convert Localized `Datetime` to Cell Array

Open Live Script

Create a datetime.

D = datetime

D = datetime
   01-Feb-2025 08:47:31

Convert the datetime to a character vector that is formatted and localized to france.

C = cellstr(D,'eeee, MMMM d, yyyy HH:mm:ss',"fr_FR")

C = 1×1 cell array
    {'samedi, février 1, 2025 08:47:31'}

Input Arguments

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`A` — Input array
array

Input array. The data type of A determines how cellstr converts A to a cell array of character vectors.

Input Type	Conversion Notes	Sample Input	Sample Output
`string`	Converts each element to a character vector and assigns it to a cell. If `A` is empty, `""`, the output is a cell containing an empty character array, a 0-by-0 character vector.	1×1 string array "foo"	1×1 cell array {'foo'}
`string`		1×2 string array "foo" "bar"	1×2 cell array {'foo'} {'bar'}
Character arrays	Assigns each row of the input to a cell. `cellstr` removes trailing whitespace characters in each row, except for significant whitespace such as nonbreaking space characters.	2×3 char array 'foo' 'bar'	2×1 cell array {'foo'} {'bar'}
Categorical array	Converts each element of the input array to a character vector and assigns the vector to a cell in the new cell array.	1x3 categorical array red green blue	1×3 cell array {'red'} {'green'} {'blue'}

`D` — Date or duration array
`datetime` array | `duration` array | `calendarDuration` array

Date or duration array, specified as a datetime, duration, or calendarDuration array. The data type of D determines how cellstr converts A to a cell array of character vectors.

Input Type	Conversion Notes	Sample Input	Sample Output
`datetime` array	Converts each element to a character vector and assigns it to a cell. To specify a format and locale, see datefmt.	`datetime(2020,6,1)`	1x1 cell array {'01-Jun-2020'}
`duration` array	Converts each element to a character vector and assigns it to a cell. To specify a format and locale, see datefmt.	`duration(5:6,12,21)`	1x2 cell array {'05:12:21'} {'06:12:21'}
`calendarDuration` array	Converts each element to a character vector and assigns it to a cell. To specify a format and locale, see datefmt.	`calmonths(15) + caldays(8) + hours(1.2345)`	1x1 cell array {'1y 3mo 8d 1h 14m 4.2s'}

Input Type

Conversion Notes

Sample Input

Sample Output

datetime array

Converts each element to a character vector and assigns it to a cell. To specify a format and locale, see datefmt.

datetime(2020,6,1)

1x1 cell array
   {'01-Jun-2020'}

duration array

Converts each element to a character vector and assigns it to a cell. To specify a format and locale, see datefmt.

duration(5:6,12,21)

1x2 cell array
    {'05:12:21'}    {'06:12:21'}

calendarDuration array

Converts each element to a character vector and assigns it to a cell. To specify a format and locale, see datefmt.

calmonths(15) + caldays(8) + hours(1.2345)

1x1 cell array
    {'1y 3mo 8d 1h 14m 4.2s'}

`datefmt` — Date Format and Locale
character vectors | string scalars

Date format and locale, specified as separate character vectors or string scalars. Input A must be of type datetime, duration, or calendarDuration.

If you do not specify a format, cellstr uses the value in the Format property of A.

Example: cellstr(A,"yyyy-MM-dd")

Example: cellstr(A,"dd:hh:mm:ss","en_US")

The supported formats depend on the data type of A.

datetime formats can include combinations of units and delimiters, such as "yyyy-MMM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS". For details, see the Format property for datetime arrays.
duration formats are either single characters (y, d, h, m, or s) or one of these combinations:
- "dd:hh:mm:ss"
- "hh:mm:ss"
- "mm:ss"
- "hh:mm"
- Any of the above, with up to nine S characters to indicate fractional second digits, such as "hh:mm:ss.SSSS"
calendarDuration formats can include combinations of the characters y, q, m, w, d, and t in order from largest to smallest unit of time, such as "ym". For more information on the duration and calendarDuration formats, see Set Date and Time Display Format.

`locale` — Locale
character vector | string scalar

Locale, specified as one of these values:

"system", to specify your system locale.
A string scalar in the form xx_YY, where xx is a lowercase ISO 639-1 two-letter code that specifies a language, and YY is an uppercase ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code that specifies a country. For sample values, see the Locale name-value argument for the datetime function.

To specify only the locale, use an empty array as a placeholder for the format, [].

Example: cellstr(A, "yyyy-MM-dd","en_US")

Example: cellstr(A, [],"en_US")

The locale affects the language used to represent certain components of dates and times, such as month names. Valid values are:

This table lists some common values for the locale.

Locale	Language	Country
`"de_DE"`	German	Germany
`"en_GB"`	English	United Kingdom
`"en_US"`	English	United States
`"es_ES"`	Spanish	Spain
`"fr_FR"`	French	France
`"it_IT"`	Italian	Italy
`"ja_JP"`	Japanese	Japan
`"ko_KR"`	Korean	Korea
`"nl_NL"`	Dutch	Netherlands
`"zh_CN"`	Chinese (simplified)	China

Extended Capabilities

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Tall Arrays
Calculate with arrays that have more rows than fit in memory.

The cellstr function fully supports tall arrays. For more information, see Tall Arrays.

C/C++ Code Generation
Generate C and C++ code using MATLAB® Coder™.

Usage notes and limitations:

In generated code, this function supports categorical arrays. For more information, see Code Generation for Categorical Arrays (MATLAB Coder) and Categorical Array Limitations for Code Generation (MATLAB Coder).
cellstr supports character arrays, and string as input. See, Code Generation for Strings (MATLAB Coder)

Thread-Based Environment
Run code in the background using MATLAB® `backgroundPool` or accelerate code with Parallel Computing Toolbox™ `ThreadPool`.

This function fully supports thread-based environments. For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions in Thread-Based Environment.

Distributed Arrays
Partition large arrays across the combined memory of your cluster using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

This function fully supports distributed arrays. For more information, see Run MATLAB Functions with Distributed Arrays (Parallel Computing Toolbox).

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

cellstr

Syntax

Description

Convert Arrays

Convert Dates and Times

Examples

Convert String Array to Cell Array

Convert Character Array to Cell Array

Convert Calendar Duration Array to Cell Array

Convert Localized Datetime to Cell Array

Input Arguments

A — Input array array

D — Date or duration array datetime array | duration array | calendarDuration array

datefmt — Date Format and Locale character vectors | string scalars

locale — Locale character vector | string scalar

Extended Capabilities

Tall Arrays Calculate with arrays that have more rows than fit in memory.

C/C++ Code Generation Generate C and C++ code using MATLAB® Coder™.

Thread-Based Environment Run code in the background using MATLAB® backgroundPool or accelerate code with Parallel Computing Toolbox™ ThreadPool.

Distributed Arrays Partition large arrays across the combined memory of your cluster using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.

Version History

See Also

Convert Localized `Datetime` to Cell Array

`A` — Input array
array

`D` — Date or duration array
`datetime` array | `duration` array | `calendarDuration` array

`datefmt` — Date Format and Locale
character vectors | string scalars

`locale` — Locale
character vector | string scalar

Tall Arrays
Calculate with arrays that have more rows than fit in memory.

C/C++ Code Generation
Generate C and C++ code using MATLAB® Coder™.

Thread-Based Environment
Run code in the background using MATLAB® `backgroundPool` or accelerate code with Parallel Computing Toolbox™ `ThreadPool`.

Distributed Arrays
Partition large arrays across the combined memory of your cluster using Parallel Computing Toolbox™.