Time Series with month names

How do I create a time series for average bottom water dissolved oxygen concentrations, with the month names across the x axis?

The attached excel file is the cocentrations

[BN2]

Hello,

Here is a simple way, But I'm sure it isn't the best way to do this.

% cd 'location of your excel file'
table = readtable('Bottom Water Average DO Time Series.xlsx'); % read excel file
plot(table.AverageDO)
set(gca,'xtick',1:7,...
    'xticklabel',{'Mar','Apr','May','Jun','Jul','Aug','Nov'});
xlabel('Months') ;
ylabel('AverageDO') ;

Cris LaPierre's answer is the best and perfect solution for doing this.

Answer 1

[Cris LaPierre]

Import your months as categoricals.

Categories are organized alphabetically by default. Use reordercats to place them in order.

Then, plot with the months on the X axis, and the values on the Y.

Answer 2

[Rishik Ramena]

You can just convert the month names to datetime.

T = readtable('Bottom Water Average DO Time Series.xlsx');
plot(datetime(T.Month,"InputFormat","MMMM"),T.AverageDO);

Answer 3

[Mathieu NOE]

hello Emily

this is my suggestion , with two plot options

filename = "Bottom Water Average DO Time Series.xlsx";

C = readcell(filename);
[m,n] = size(C);
my_xtick_label = string(C(2:m,1)); % start at row index 2 to ignore header line
data = cell2mat(C(2:m,2)); % start at row index 2 to ignore header line


%% plot

 figure(1), plot(data,'*-');grid
 set(gca,'xtick',1:m-1,'xticklabel',my_xtick_label)
 xlabel('Month');
 ylabel('Bottom Water Average DO Time');
 
  figure(2), bar(data);
 set(gca,'xtick',1:m-1,'xticklabel',my_xtick_label)
 xlabel('Month');
 ylabel('Bottom Water Average DO Time');