Reading in Your Date/Time Data

Before you can generate a date/time axis on a plot, your data must be read in and converted to date/time data. There are three methods for generating variables containing date/time data:

• You can read data directly into date/time variables using the DC_READ functions in conjunction with the DT_Template keyword. See "Importing Date/Time Data" in Working with Data Files from the PV‑WAVE Programmer’s Guide.

• Refer to "Transferring Date/Time Data" in Working with Data Files from the PV‑WAVE Programmer’s Guide; this section contains an example showing date/time data being transferred using DC_READ_FIXED. You can also refer to the descriptions for the DC_READ_FIXED and DC_READ_FREE procedures in the PV‑WAVE Reference for other examples.

• You can read date and time data as atomic data types and then use conversion procedures to create date/time variables. These conversion routines are discussed in the next section.

• Refer to "Transferring Date/Time Data" in Working with Data Files from the PV‑WAVE Programmer’s Guide; this section contains an example showing date/time data being transferred using the READF function. You can also refer to the descriptions of the READF and READU functions in the PV‑WAVE Reference for more examples.

• You can use the DTGEN function to generate date/time data for an input file that does not contain date/time information such as data generated by a computer time stamp. See Generating Date/Time Data.