Depending what operations you need to perform, you may be able to keep your data as a datetime array without converting it to serial date numbers. But if you do, datetime can convert serial date numbers into a datetime array.
>> dt = datetime('now')
dt =
datetime
30-Sep-2020 09:48:21
>> sdn = datenum(dt)
sdn =
7.3806e+05
>> dt2 = datetime(sdn, 'ConvertFrom', 'datenum')
dt2 =
datetime
30-Sep-2020 09:48:21
As an example of some operations defined on datetime arrays, you can perform date and time arithmetic using datetime and duration arrays.
>> dt3 = dt + hours(1) + minutes(2) + seconds(3) % datetime + duration = datetime
dt3 =
datetime
30-Sep-2020 10:50:24
>> du = dt3 - dt2 % datetime - datetime = duration
du =
duration
01:02:03
