# How to draw a curly bracket?

I'm using this code to draw curly brackets

\documentclass[]{scrartcl}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{fit,calc,positioning,decorations.pathreplacing,matrix}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[decoration={brace}][scale=2]
\node [draw] (A) {A};
\node [fit=(A)] (fit) {};
\draw [decorate,line width=1pt] (fit.south west) -- (fit.north west);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}


How can I make this brace span the entire height of the "A" character ?

-

You can apply a convenient shift to the coordinates used for the brace:

\documentclass[]{scrartcl}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{fit,calc,positioning,decorations.pathreplacing,matrix}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}[decoration={brace}][scale=2]
\node [draw] (A) {A};
\node [fit=(A)] (fit) {};
\draw [decorate,line width=1pt]
([yshift=-5pt]fit.south west) -- ([yshift=5pt]fit.north west);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}


Your settings for scale=2 won't have any effect since you are using a second optional argument which is not a correct syntax; tikzpicture only admits one optional argument:

\begin{tikzpicture}[<options>]
...
\end{tikzpicture}


where <options> is a comma separated list of options.

It is not clear to me why are you using the fit node; you can use something like this, without this node:

\documentclass[]{scrartcl}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{fit,calc,positioning,decorations.pathreplacing,matrix}

\begin{document}

\begin{tikzpicture}
\node [draw] (A) {A};
\draw[decoration={brace,raise=5pt},decorate,line width=1pt]
([yshift=-5pt]A.south west) -- ([yshift=5pt]A.north west);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}


Also, notice that the option scale=2 is not having effect (you would need to add transform shape).

-

With simple LaTeX code:

\documentclass{scrartcl}
\begin{document}

$\left\{ \rule{0pt}{5mm}\fbox{A} \right.$
$\left\{ \rule{0pt}{15mm}\fbox{A} \right.$
$\left\{ \rule{0pt}{20mm}\fbox{A} \right.$

\end{document}


-