Text in squared box

Question

I'd like to bot a square box around some text. I'd like to denote a labelled object of size 1, in combinatorics this is often symbolised by something like \boxed{1}. It would be nicer if the box was a square. Is there an adequate command for this?

Answer 1

Here a solution based on my collectbox package. This makes it support verbatim and other special text.

It doesn't change the baseline of the content, which is what you normally want.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{collectbox}

\makeatletter
\newcommand{\sqbox}{%
    \collectbox{%
        \@tempdima=\dimexpr\width-\totalheight\relax
        \ifdim\@tempdima<\z@
            \fbox{\hbox{\hspace{-.5\@tempdima}\BOXCONTENT\hspace{-.5\@tempdima}}}%
        \else
            \ht\collectedbox=\dimexpr\ht\collectedbox+.5\@tempdima\relax
            \dp\collectedbox=\dimexpr\dp\collectedbox+.5\@tempdima\relax
            \fbox{\BOXCONTENT}%
        \fi
    }%
}
\makeatother

\usepackage{graphicx}% just for the example text
\begin{document}

.. \sqbox{Text} .. \sqbox{Very very long Text} .. \sqbox{\scalebox{.1}[10]{Stretched}} .. \sqbox{$\sum\limits_{k=0}^{10} x_k = i$} .. \sqbox{\verb+$%^&+}


\end{document}

---

Alternatively you can avoid the package and box the content directly:

\documentclass{article}


\makeatletter
\newcommand{\sqbox}[1]{%
    \@begin@tempboxa\hbox{#1}%
    \@tempdima=\dimexpr\width-\totalheight\relax
    \ifdim\@tempdima<\z@
        \fbox{\hbox{\hspace{-.5\@tempdima}\usebox\@tempboxa\hspace{-.5\@tempdima}}}%
    \else
        \ht\@tempboxa=\dimexpr\ht\@tempboxa+.5\@tempdima\relax
        \dp\@tempboxa=\dimexpr\dp\@tempboxa+.5\@tempdima\relax
        \fbox{\usebox\@tempboxa}%
    \fi
    \@end@tempboxa
}
\makeatother

\usepackage{graphicx}% For example only
\begin{document}

\noindent
.. \sqbox{Text} .. \sqbox{Very very long Text} .. \sqbox{\scalebox{.1}[10]{Stretched}} .. \sqbox{$\sum\limits_{k=0}^{10} x_k = i$} .. 

\end{document}

Answer 2

This should work for you. It does the necessary vertical corrections so that the text is on a baseline (the same vertical level as the surrounding text). You can change the \fboxsep line to get more or less tight box.

Edit: I removed the \smash command, now even constructions like $\left(\Sq{12345}^n\right)$ work.

Edit 2: Added \textSq for text-mode contents and modified \Sq to accept math-mode.

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{calc}

\makeatletter
\def\textSq#1{%
\begingroup% make boxes and lengths local
\setlength{\fboxsep}{0.3ex}% SET ANY DESIRED PADDING HERE
\setbox1=\hbox{#1}% save the contents
\setlength{\@tempdima}{\maxof{\wd1}{\ht1+\dp1}}% size of the box
\setlength{\@tempdimb}{(\@tempdima-\ht1+\dp1)/2}% vertical raise
\raise-\@tempdimb\hbox{\fbox{\vbox to \@tempdima{%
  \vfil\hbox to \@tempdima{\hfil\copy1\hfil}\vfil}}}%
\endgroup%
}
\def\Sq#1{\textSq{\ensuremath{#1}}}%
\makeatother

\begin{document}

Hello \textSq{1} world! $f(x):=\Sq1+\Sq2$.

\end{document}

Answer 3

Below is a solution based on ConTeXt. I define a special \framed for the task, so all the options of \framed work:

\unprotect 
\newdimen\d_square_size 

\defineframed[squared_box] 
             [ 
               \c!location=\v!lohi, 
               \c!width=\d_square_size, 
               \c!height=\d_square_size, 
             ]  

\def\squared_and_framed_box 
    {\ifdim\wd\nextbox>\dimexpr(\ht\nextbox+\dp\nextbox)\relax 
        \d_square_size=\wd\nextbox 
     \else 
        \d_square_size=\dimexpr\ht\nextbox+\dp\nextbox\relax 
     \fi 
     \squared_box{\box\nextbox}% 
     \endgroup 
     } 

\def\squarebox 
    {\dosingleargument\squarebox_indeed} 

\def\squarebox_indeed[#1]% 
    {\begingroup 
     \setupframed[squared_box][#1]% 
     \dowithnextbox\squared_and_framed_box\hbox} 
\protect 

\starttext 
\unknown\squarebox{ABCDEF} 
\unknown\squarebox[framecolor=red]{A very long text} 
\unknown\squarebox[corner=round]{$\displaystyle\sum_{i=1}^n$} 
\stoptext

which gives

You can add a offset=<dimen> to the \defineframed command to have some offset between the text and the frame.

Answer 4

Here is the mandatory overkill tikz version. Since it is uses tikz all the flexibility inherent in tikz is available to customize the square:

Notes:

• Will not work if the text is very long unless it is placed in a \parbox.

Code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc}
\usetikzlibrary{shapes}

\makeatletter
\newdimen\@myBoxHeight%
\newdimen\@myBoxDepth%
\newdimen\@myBoxWidth%
\newdimen\@myBoxSize%
\newcommand{\SquareBox}[2][]{%
    \settoheight{\@myBoxHeight}{#2}% Record height of box
    \settodepth{\@myBoxDepth}{#2}% Record depth of box
    \settowidth{\@myBoxWidth}{#2}% Record width of box
    \pgfmathsetlength{\@myBoxSize}{max(\@myBoxWidth,(\@myBoxHeight+\@myBoxDepth))}%
    \tikz \node [shape=rectangle, shape aspect=1,draw=red,inner sep=2\pgflinewidth, minimum size=\@myBoxSize,#1] {#2};%
}%
\makeatother

\begin{document}
\SquareBox{I}
\SquareBox{y}
\SquareBox[thick, dashed]{long text}
\SquareBox[draw=blue]{longer text}
\SquareBox[draw=blue, thick, fill=yellow]{$e = mc^2$}
\SquareBox[draw=black, thick, fill=yellow!10, rounded corners=2pt]{$\displaystyle \int_{-\dfrac{\pi}{2}}^{\dfrac{\pi}{2}} dx $}
\end{document}

Answer 5

This is a solution that uses pstricks the great Herbert Voss offered some years ago:

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage{pstricks}

\usepackage{auto-pst-pdf} % for easy pdf-output - otherwise comment this out

\def\bBox#1#2{\makebox[#1]{#2}}
\def\bhBox#1#2{\parbox[c][#1][c]{#1}{\makebox[#1]{#2}}}
\def\bhpBox#1#2{\parbox[c][#1][c]{#1}{\centering #2}}

\begin{document}
%\psset{framesep=0}
\psframebox{\bBox{1.3cm}{A}} und \psframebox{\bBox{1.3cm}{BBBBB}}

\psframebox{\bhBox{1.3cm}{A}} und \psframebox{\bhBox{1.3cm}{BBBBB}}

\psframebox{\bhpBox{1.3cm}{A}} und \psframebox{\bhpBox{1.3cm}{BBBBB}}

\end{document}

Answer 6

tohecz just beat me to it. Here is an alternative version:

\documentclass[letterpaper,11pt]{article}
\usepackage{calc}

\newlength{\spacer}
\newsavebox{\mybox}

\newcommand{\squarebox}[1]{%
\sbox\mybox{#1}%
\setlength{\spacer}{0.5\wd\mybox-0.5\ht\mybox}%
\fbox{\parbox{\wd\mybox}{\vspace{\spacer}\usebox\mybox\vspace{\spacer}}}%
}

\begin{document}

\squarebox{does this look great or what?}

\end{document}