now - (Not recommended; use datetime) Current date and time as serial

  date number - MATLAB ([original](https://in.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/now.html)) ([raw](?raw))

Main Content

(Not recommended; use datetime) Current date and time as serial date number

Syntax

Description

t = now returns the current date and time as a serial date number. A serial date number represents the whole and fractional number of days starting from a fixed, preset date (January 0, 0000).

example

Examples

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Change the output display for numbers to long, fixed-decimal format. Then return the current date and time as a serial date number.

The whole part of t corresponds to the date, and the fractional part corresponds to the time of day. One way to show the date and time is to convert t using the datetime function.

d = datetime(t,'ConvertFrom','datenum')

d = datetime 01-Feb-2025 08:08:03

To represent the date alone, without the time of day, use the floor function. Convert the result to a datetime value for display.

d2 = datetime(t2,'ConvertFrom','datenum')

d2 = datetime 01-Feb-2025

Limitations

• MATLAB® Online™ returns the current date and time in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) rather than local time.

Tips

• To represent the current date and time as a serial date number, as text, or as adatetime value, use the function calls shown in the table.

  Function Call	Output
  floor(now)	Current date as a serial date number
  rem(now,1)	Current time as a serial date number
  datestr(now)	Current date and time as text
  char(datetime)
  string(datetime)
  datetime	Current date and time as a datetime value
  datetime(now,'ConvertFrom','datenum')

Extended Capabilities

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

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There are no plans to remove now. However, the datetime function is recommended instead. The datetime data type provides flexible date and time formats, storage out to nanosecond precision, and properties to account for time zones and daylight saving time.

To return the current date and time as a datetime value, calldatetime. You can call it without any input arguments, or with"now" as the input argument.

d = datetime % or d = datetime("now")

d = datetime 15-Apr-2022 15:53:28