Tracking boxplot x axis labels

I am using the boxplot function to visualize data in a hierarchical way. Since the function allows me to define the order and hierarchy of the boxes, is there a way I can retrieve the organized tick labels in a string (cell) array?

Example: By changing the order of the strings a,b,c,d (which are the different values associated to the vector_data) the tick labels on the X axis will change. How can I track that change? Can I get a table showing how the x axis tick labels are organized? What is the figure object that has that info?

comp=[a,b,c,d]; 
boxplot(vector_data(:,1),comp,'FactorGap',[3,1],'PlotStyle','compact','MedianStyle','line','BoxStyle','outline');

Thank you!

[dpb]

Don't follow the problem; provide a working example that illustrates what you have and what you're trying to accomplish.

[Eugenio Daviso]

I have the attached boxplot and want to create a table of the hierarchical way of the labels on the X axis as they are plotted - left-to-right. As you can see there are four levels: Which property (or object) of the figure has that information?

Answer 1

[dpb]

OK, I came in late and just picked up on the 'ticklabel' part of the conversation. Went back to the beginning and looked at the original image for the first time. Those aren't tick labels but text. To retrieve them must do some "handle diving" to retrieve the text in the boxplot hggroup.

>> hTxt=findobj(findobj(gca,'Type','hggroup'),'Type','Text');  % the text object handles array
>> txtLabel=cellstr(char(hTxt.String));                        % the content in cellstr array
ans = 
  'A06'
  'A04'
  'A05'
  'A02'
  'A03'
  'A01'
  ''
  'b'
  'a'
  'b'
  ''
  'a'
  ''
  ''
  'B'
  ''
  ''
  'A'
  ''
  ''
  'BB'
  ''
  ''
  'AA'
>>

[Eugenio Daviso]

Thank you! THAT is what I needed!!

[dpb]

It does help to read the original question sometimes! :)

Answer 2

[Sangeetha Jayaprakash]

I assume that you are trying to get the ticklabels of the X axis for the attached boxplot. You can get the current axes, and then get the Xticklabels from that handle as shown:

ax = gca;
ticks  = ax.Xticklabels

For more information on "gca" function, refer this link:

http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/ref/gca.html

ERRATUM

Use

ticks  = ax.Xticklabel  % plural name been removed for singular form

Or, beginning w/ R2016b, there's a new function xticklabels

doc xticklabels  % for details if late-enough version

[Eugenio Daviso]

That is actually the very first thing I tried and it seems not to work on boxplots.

[dpb]

Well, it isn't boxplots; it's a change in property names--the plural form of '[X|Y|Z]TickLabels' was turned into singular (without the trailing 's')

[Eugenio Daviso]

It works for a plot but it does not work on boxplots. I am attaching the figure so you can see that when I recall the x label property (per your instruction) the output is an empty matrix.

[dpb]

See new Answer that actually addresses original problem...