How to Import And Export Data to Excel In MATLAB?

11 minutes read

In MATLAB, you can easily import and export data to Excel files using built-in functions and tools. These functions allow you to read data from Excel files or write data from MATLAB to Excel files. Here is an overview of the steps involved in importing and exporting data to Excel:


Importing Data from Excel:

  1. Use the xlsread function to read data from an Excel file. Specify the filename and sheet name as input arguments.
  2. You can also specify the range of cells to read using the 'Range' parameter in xlsread.
  3. The function returns the data from the specified range as a numeric array, cell array, or a combination of both, depending on the type of data in Excel.


Exporting Data to Excel:

  1. Use the xlswrite function to write data from MATLAB to an Excel file. Specify the filename, sheet name, and data as input arguments.
  2. You can also specify the start cell to begin writing the data using the 'Range' parameter in xlswrite.
  3. The function converts the MATLAB data into Excel-supported format and writes it to the specified range in the Excel file.


Additional Tips:

  • To work with Excel files, make sure you have the necessary toolbox installed in MATLAB. The 'MATLAB Database Toolbox' or 'MATLAB Spreadsheet Link EX' are commonly used for these operations.
  • Excel files can contain multiple sheets, so specify the sheet name when reading or writing data.
  • In addition to numeric and text data, you can also import/export data in the form of formulas, dates, and time formats.
  • MATLAB also offers functions like readtable and writetable to import and export tabular data to Excel, which provide more flexibility and options compared to xlsread and xlswrite.


By utilizing these functions, MATLAB provides a convenient and efficient way to import and export data between MATLAB and Excel, making it easier to integrate and work with data from different sources.

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What is the function to export MATLAB plots to an Excel file?

There is no built-in function in MATLAB to directly export plots to an Excel file. However, you can export the data used to generate the plot to an Excel file using the xlswrite function, and then import the data into Excel and create the plot there.


Here is an example:

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% Generate some sample data and plot it
x = linspace(0, 2*pi, 100);
y = sin(x);
plot(x, y)

% Export data to an Excel file
data = [x', y'];
xlswrite('plot_data.xlsx', data)


This code will export the x and y values to an Excel file named "plot_data.xlsx".


You can then open the Excel file and use the data to create a plot.


How to format cells and apply styles during export to Excel in MATLAB?

To format cells and apply styles during export to Excel in MATLAB, you can use the xlsread and xlswrite commands along with the Excel COM object interface. Here is an example:

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% Load data from a .mat file
load('data.mat');

% Define the output file name
outputFile = 'output.xlsx';

% Create the Excel COM object
excel = actxserver('Excel.Application');
excel.Visible = 1;

% Add a new workbook
workbook = excel.Workbooks.Add();
sheet = workbook.Sheets.Item(1);

% Write the data to the worksheet
xlswrite(outputFile, data, 1, 'A1');

% Get the range of cells
range = sheet.Range(sheet.Cells(1,1), sheet.Cells(size(data,1), size(data,2)));

% Format cells
format = range.Font;
format.Bold = true;

% Apply styles
style = range.Style;
style.Font.Color = rgb2color([255,0,0]); % Set font color to red

% Save the workbook and close Excel
workbook.SaveAs(fullfile(pwd, outputFile));
workbook.Close();
excel.Quit();

% Function to convert RGB values to a color value
function color = rgb2color(rgb)
    color = rgb(1) + rgb(2)*256 + rgb(3)*256*256;
end


This example loads data from a .mat file, creates an Excel COM object, writes the data to a worksheet, formats the cells to be bold, and applies a red font color. Finally, it saves the workbook and closes Excel.


How to skip rows and columns during import from Excel to MATLAB?

To skip rows and columns while importing data from an Excel file to MATLAB, you can use the "Range" option in the xlsread function.


Here's an example of how you can achieve this:

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% Specify the Excel file path
filePath = 'path_to_your_excel_file';

% Specify the sheet name or index
sheetName = 'Sheet1';

% Specify the range to import data (e.g., 'A3:D10' to skip 2 rows and 2 columns)
range = 'A3:D10';

% Import data from the specified range
[numData, textData] = xlsread(filePath, sheetName, range);


In this example, xlsread function is used with three input arguments: the file path, sheet name/index, and the range. The range is specified as a string (e.g., 'A3:D10') to skip the first two rows and two columns.


The imported numeric data will be stored in the numData variable, and text data will be stored in textData variable.


Make sure to adjust the file path, sheet name/index, and the range according to your specific Excel file and data requirements.


How to handle date/time variables during import from Excel to MATLAB?

To handle date/time variables during import from Excel to MATLAB, follow these steps:

  1. Open MATLAB and go to the "Home" tab on the MATLAB toolbar.
  2. Click on the "Import Data" button in the "Variable" section. This will open the "Import Tool" window.
  3. In the "Import Tool" window, select "Import the Current Sheet" if you want to import a specific worksheet from the Excel file or select "Import Full File" to import the entire Excel file.
  4. Next, select the Excel file you want to import and click "Next."
  5. In the "Select Data" window, you can preview the data in your Excel file. If your date/time variables are recognized correctly by MATLAB, they will be displayed as such.
  6. If MATLAB does not recognize your date/time variables correctly, you can specify the format in which they are stored. To do this, select the variables you want to modify and click on the "Detect Import Options" button.
  7. In the "Import Options" window, select the column containing your date/time variables, and in the right panel, click on the "variable options" tab.
  8. In the "Variable Format" section, choose the appropriate format for your date/time data using the drop-down menu. If your date/time data has a custom format not available in the drop-down menu, select "Custom" and enter the format in the "Format" field using the formatting codes provided.
  9. Once you have specified the format correctly, click on "Update Preview" to check if the date/time variables are now displayed correctly. If they are, click "Import" to import the data into MATLAB.


After importing, MATLAB will recognize your date/time variables correctly, allowing you to perform computations and analysis involving date and time.


What is the syntax for importing data from Excel in MATLAB?

To import data from Excel in MATLAB, you can use the xlsread function. Here is the syntax:

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[num, txt, raw] = xlsread('filename', 'sheetname', 'range');


  • filename is the name of the Excel file you want to import.
  • sheetname is the name of the specific sheet you want to read from. If omitted, it defaults to the first sheet.
  • range is the range of cells you want to read. If omitted, it reads the entire sheet.


This function returns three outputs:

  • num is a numeric matrix containing the numeric values of the Excel data.
  • txt is a cell array containing the text data of the Excel file.
  • raw is a cell array containing the raw data of the Excel file, including any unrecognized data types.


You can choose to assign only the outputs you're interested in. For example, if you only want the numeric data, you can use [num] = xlsread('filename').


Note: MATLAB requires the Excel file to be in the current working directory or you need to provide the full path to the file.


What is the function to import non-numeric data from Excel in MATLAB?

The function to import non-numeric (text) data from Excel in MATLAB is xlsread.

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