anyway to compare date in Matlab

I have two file with the same name, but different location, for example:

file1: D:/test/abc.m

file2: E:/test/abc.m

one of them has been updated. I could check the last modified name by:

filenames1=dir'(D:/test/);
time_file1=filenames(3).date;
filenames2=dir'(E:/test/);
time_file2=filenames(3).date;

the 'time_file1' and 'time_file2' represents the last modified time of these two files, the format is like: '22-Jan-2019 08:43:06'

my question is:

is there anyway to know which is ealier/later, so that I can keep the latest one for use, with out left-click, then property, to look at.

Bests,

Yu

Answer 1

[Star Strider]

It might be easier to use the datenum field instead if you simply want to compare dates:

filenames1=dir'(D:/test/);
time_file1=filenames(3).datenum;
filenames2=dir'(E:/test/);
time_file2=filenames(3).datenum;
datediff = time_file1 - time_file2;

[Yu Li]

Hi:

Thanks for your reply.

but after look into the documentation of 'datanum', I do not find the the relation between the actual date and the numbers. which means that, I could not find any prove to assure the larger/small number is the latest one.

Could you please give more suggestions?

Bests,

Yu

[Star Strider]

The larger number is the later date.

Try this:

dn1 = datenum('20-Mar-2019','dd-mmm-yyyy')
dn2 = datenum('21-Mar-2019','dd-mmm-yyyy')
datdif = dn2 - dn1
if datdif < 0
    fprintf('Date: ‘%s’ is earlier than date: ‘%s’\n', datestr(dn2), datestr(dn1))
elseif datdif > 0
    fprintf('Date: ‘%s’ is later than date: ‘%s’\n', datestr(dn2), datestr(dn1))
end

Experiment with the different dates in the date numbers.

[Yu Li]

Hi:

Thanks for your reply.

one point can not assure the judgement is right. I think knowing the internal method of how these two translate between each other would be more reasonable.

I'm contacting Mathworks Tech Support regarding it, and will come back here after I receive a appropriate solution.

Bests,

Yu

[Star Strider]

My pleasure.

Answer 2

[Pruthvi G]

[~,Data] = dos('dir D:/test/abc.m');
Scanned_data = textscan(Data,'%s');
Date_modified = Scanned_data{1}{15};