\documentclass{article}
% translate with >> pdflatex -shell-escape <file>

% This file is an extract of the PGFPLOTS manual, copyright by Christian Feuersaenger.
% 
% Feel free to use it as long as you cite the pgfplots manual properly.
%
% See
%   http://pgfplots.sourceforge.net/pgfplots.pdf
% for the complete manual.
%
% Any required input files (for <plot table> or <plot file> or the table package) can be downloaded
% at
% http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/graphics/pgf/contrib/pgfplots/doc/latex/
% and
% http://www.ctan.org/tex-archive/graphics/pgf/contrib/pgfplots/doc/latex/plotdata/

\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}

\pagestyle{empty}

\usepackage{pgfplotstable}
\usepackage{array}
\usepackage{colortbl}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{eurosym}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{pgfplotstable}
\usepackage{pgfcalendar}

\begin{document}
% Requires 
% \usepackage{pgfcalendar}
\pgfplotstableset{columns={date,account1}}

% plotdata/accounts.dat contains:
%
% date              account1  account2  account3
% 2008-01-03        60        1200      400
% 2008-02-06        120       1600      410
% 2008-03-15        -10       1600      410
% 2008-04-01        1800      500       410
% 2008-05-20        2300      500       410
% 2008-06-15        800       1920      410

% Show the contents in `string type':
\pgfplotstabletypeset[
	columns/date/.style={string type}
]{plotdata/accounts.dat}
\hspace{1cm}
% Show the contents in `date type':
\pgfplotstabletypeset[
	columns/date/.style={date type={\monthname\ \year}}
]{plotdata/accounts.dat}
\end{document}
