xticklabels — Query or set X-axis tick labels for the current axes or a specified axes handle.
xticklabels controls the display text associated with X-axis tick marks. It supports query, explicit label assignment, automatic mode, manual mode, mode query, and explicit axes-target forms.
Syntax
labels = xticklabels()
labels = xticklabels(labels)
mode = xticklabels(mode)
labels = xticklabels(ax, labels)Inputs
| Name | Type | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
labels | Any | Yes | — | String array or cell array of character vectors for X-axis tick labels. |
mode | StringScalar | Yes | — | Tick label mode string: 'auto', 'manual', or 'mode'. |
ax | AxesHandle | Yes | — | Target axes handle. |
Returns
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
labels | Any | Current X-axis tick labels as a cell array of character vectors. |
mode | StringScalar | Current X-axis tick label mode, 'auto' or 'manual'. |
Errors
| Identifier | When | Message |
|---|---|---|
RunMat:xticklabels:InvalidArgument | Argument count, tick label values, mode, or axes handle is invalid. | xticklabels: invalid argument |
RunMat:xticklabels:Internal | Internal plotting state update fails. | xticklabels: internal operation failed |
GPU memory and residency
xticklabels only reads and writes axes metadata. It does not gather GPU-resident plot data; automatic labels are generated from current tick metadata and cached display bounds.
Examples
Set X-axis tick values and labels
plot(0:10, (0:10).^2);
xticks([0 5 10]);
xticklabels({'x = 0', 'x = 5', 'x = 10'});Expected output:
% The X-axis shows the three supplied labelsQuery and reset label mode
xticklabels({'A', 'B'});
xticklabels('mode')
xticklabels('auto');Expected output:
ans = 'manual'
% Labels return to automatic numeric formattingSet labels on a specific axes
ax = subplot(1, 2, 1);
plot(ax, 1:3);
xticks(ax, [1 2 3]);
xticklabels(ax, {'one', 'two', 'three'});Expected output:
% Only the target axes receives the labelsUsing xticklabels with coding agents
Open a RunMat example with live inputs, then ask the agent to explain how xticklabels changes the result.
Run a small xticklabels example, explain the result, then change one input and compare the output.
Related Plotting functions
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area · bar · errorbar · heatmap · hist · histogram · loglog · pie · plot · scatter · semilogx · semilogy · stairs · stem
Other
addpoints · ancestor · animatedline · axes · barh · caxis · cla · clf · clim · colorcube · colororder · copyobj · daspect · datacursormode · dataTipTextRow · fcontour · figure · fill · fill3 · findobj · fsurf · gobjects · groot · hgload · hgsave · hidden · histogram2 · hold · line · linkaxes · openfig · opengl · pan · parula · patch · plotmatrix · plotyy · polarhistogram · polarplot · polarscatter · print · quiver3 · ribbon · saveas · savefig · sphere · stackedplot · subtitle · suptitle · text · textscatter · textscatter3 · triplot · waitbar · wordcloud · xlabel · xlim · xline · xscale · xtickangle · xtickformat · xticks · ylabel · ylim · yline · yscale · ytickangle · ytickformat · yticklabels · yticks · zlim · zoom
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