today - (Not recommended; use datetime("today")) Current

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

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(Not recommended; use datetime("today")) Current date

Syntax

Description

[Date](#bu%5Fdvwg-1-Date) = today returns the current date as a serial date number.

example

[Date](#bu%5Fdvwg-1-Date) = today([outputType](#bu%5Fdvwg-1-outputType)) returns the current date using an optional outputType. The type of output is determined by an optional outputType variable input.

example

Examples

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Use today to return the current date with the default serial date number.

Use the optional argument outputType to return a datetime array.

Date = datetime 01-Feb-2025

Input Arguments

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Output data type, specified as "datenum" or"datetime".

If outputType is "datenum", thenDate is a serial date number. IfoutputType is "datetime", thenDate is a datetime value. By default, outputType is "datenum".

Data Types: string | char

Output Arguments

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Current date, returned as a serial date number ordatetime value, depending on the optional input argument outputType.

Version History

Introduced before R2006a

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There are no plans to remove today. However, the datetime function is recommended instead because it returns a datetime value. Thedatetime 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, call datetime with"today" as the input argument.

currentDate = datetime("today")

To convert currentDate to a string, use the string function.

currentDateString = string(currentDate)

To convert currentDate to a serial date number, use theconvertTo function.

currentDateNum = convertTo(currentDate,"datenum")

Previously, today required Financial Toolbox™.