pgfplot dateplot discrete dates on axis

Question

With pgfplot using dateplot when plotting data over a small date range, some dates are shown multiple times to "fill" the horizontal axis. I wonder if it is possible to show only discrete dates. Since I automate the generation of figures I don't want to set the ticks manually.

Here my working example:

\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepgfplotslibrary{dateplot}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.12}
\usepackage{filecontents}
\begin{filecontents*}{data.csv}
date,value
2015-01-01, 3.2
2015-01-02, 6.5
2015-01-04, 6.8
\end{filecontents*}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\centering
\begin{axis}[
    date coordinates in=x,
    xticklabel={\day-\month-\year},
    x tick label style={rotate=45,anchor=north east},
    date ZERO=2015-01-01,
    grid=both,
    enlarge x limits=false,
    xlabel={Date (day-month-year)},
    ylabel={Value},
]
\addplot table [x=date, y=value, col sep=comma] {data.csv};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

I though of that as well, however the dates are then not continues (03-01-2015 will disappear) — Joost Döbken, Jan 08 '16 at 08:27
This question is not directly related to dateplot, the problem also occurs for plotting with integers instead of dates. Should I change this question or ask a new one? — Joost Döbken, Jan 08 '16 at 08:32

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited Jun 10 '20 at 12:32

3

One possibility is to adapt the solution from pgfplot discrete integers on axis to define a macro with the tick label embedded in it and suppress the tick if that macro is already defined:

Code:

\documentclass{standalone}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\usepgfplotslibrary{dateplot}
\pgfplotsset{compat=1.12}
\usepackage{filecontents}
\begin{filecontents}{data.csv}
date,value
2015-01-01, 3.2
2015-01-02, 6.5
2015-01-04, 6.8
\end{filecontents}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\centering
\begin{axis}[
    date coordinates in=x,
    xticklabel={\day-\month-\year},
    x tick label style={rotate=45,anchor=north east},
    date ZERO=2015-01-01,
    grid=both,
    enlarge x limits=false,
    xlabel={Date (day-month-year)},
    ylabel={Value},
    xticklabel={%
        \ifcsdef{Tick Used \tick}{}{%
            \tick%
            \csxdef{Tick Used \tick}{}%
        }%
    },

]
\addplot table [x=date, y=value, col sep=comma] {data.csv};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

edited Jun 10 '20 at 12:32

Community

1

answered Jan 08 '16 at 10:46

Peter Grill

223,288

for day-month-year notation I'd to change \tick% into \day-\month-\year – Joost Döbken Jan 08 '16 at 12:36
I have a follow-up question http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/288338/forget-used-ticks – Joost Döbken Jan 19 '16 at 10:42
Why is xticklabel defined twice? – koppor Aug 08 '23 at 19:47
@koppor: Oversight on my part. Don't think the first one is needed. – Peter Grill Aug 09 '23 at 02:18
1

In case one gets Could not parse input '2015-01-01' as a floating point number, sorry, one has probably forgotten to add \usepgfplotslibrary{dateplot}. – koppor Aug 09 '23 at 05:56

pgfplot dateplot discrete dates on axis

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