How can I measure the **height** of a single word, but **inside** `\newcommand` which means the text may change every time

Question

How can I measure the height of a single word, but inside \newcommand which means the text may change every time.

Using the code in How to 'translate' a numerical value into a word with \newcommand? (with many thanks to Werner) and I modified to:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{color}

\newcommand{\Calendar}[3]{%
\noindent
\ifcase #1\or% 0
January\or % 1
February\or % 2
March\or % 3
April\or % 4
May\or % 5
June\or % 6
July\or % 7
August\or % 8
September\or % 9
October\or % 10
November\or % 11
December% 12
\fi
\\
\textcolor{blue}{\textit{#2%
\ifcase #2\or% 0
st\or % 1
nd\or % 2
rd\or % 3
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
st\or % 21
nd\or % 22
rd\or % 23
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
st% 31
\fi}}
\\
\textcolor{red}{\textbf{#3}}%
\vspace{0.4em}
}

\begin{document}

\Calendar{2}{2}{1989}

\Calendar{1}{31}{1990}

\Calendar{3}{23}{1991}

\end{document}

It outputs the following:

I would like to measure the height of the first argument (#1, which is the month) so I can draw a box around the month only that exactly matches its height, but I don't know how to start.

Answer 1

You don't need to measure the width. You can use either a tabular:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{color}

\newcommand{\Calendar}[3]{%
\noindent
\ifcase #1\or% 0
January\or % 1
February\or % 2
March\or % 3
April\or % 4
May\or % 5
June\or % 6
July\or % 7
August\or % 8
September\or % 9
October\or % 10
November\or % 11
December% 12
\fi
\\
\textcolor{blue}{\textit{#2%
\ifcase #2\or% 0
st\or % 1
nd\or % 2
rd\or % 3
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
st\or % 21
nd\or % 22
rd\or % 23
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
st% 31
\fi}}
\\
\textcolor{red}{\textbf{#3}}%
\vspace{0.4em}
}

\begin{document}

\Calendar{2}{2}{1989}

\Calendar{1}{31}{1990}

\Calendar{3}{23}{1991}

\end{document}

or tabular inside \fbox:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{color}

\newcommand{\Calendar}[3]{%
  \noindent
  \fbox{\begin{tabular}{@{}l@{}}
\ifcase #1\or% 0
January\or % 1
February\or % 2
March\or % 3
April\or % 4
May\or % 5
June\or % 6
July\or % 7
August\or % 8
September\or % 9
October\or % 10
November\or % 11
December% 12
\fi
\\
\textcolor{blue}{\textit{#2%
\ifcase #2\or% 0
st\or % 1
nd\or % 2
rd\or % 3
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
st\or % 21
nd\or % 22
rd\or % 23
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
st% 31
\fi}}
\\
\textcolor{red}{\textbf{#3}}\\
  \end{tabular}}%
}

\begin{document}

\Calendar{2}{2}{1989}

\Calendar{1}{31}{1990}

\Calendar{3}{23}{1991}

\end{document}

or varwidth inside \fbox to make a box around it.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{varwidth}

\newcommand{\Calendar}[3]{%
  \noindent
  \fbox{\begin{varwidth}{\linewidth}\raggedright
\ifcase #1\or% 0
January\or % 1
February\or % 2
March\or % 3
April\or % 4
May\or % 5
June\or % 6
July\or % 7
August\or % 8
September\or % 9
October\or % 10
November\or % 11
December% 12
\fi
\\
\textcolor{blue}{\textit{#2%
\ifcase #2\or% 0
st\or % 1
nd\or % 2
rd\or % 3
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
st\or % 21
nd\or % 22
rd\or % 23
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
st% 31
\fi}}
\\
\textcolor{red}{\textbf{#3}}\\
  \end{varwidth}}%
}

\begin{document}

\Calendar{2}{2}{1989}

\Calendar{1}{31}{1990}

\Calendar{3}{23}{1991}

\end{document}

This does also work for very short month like May, where the yer could be wider than the name of the month. Nevertheless, if you like to measure, use \settowidth or \widthof:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{color}
\usepackage{calc}% for \widthof


\newcommand*{\Month}[1]{%
  \ifcase #1\or% 0
  January\or % 1
  February\or % 2
  March\or % 3
  April\or % 4
  May\or % 5
  June\or % 6
  July\or % 7
  August\or % 8
  September\or % 9
  October\or % 10
  November\or % 11
  December% 12
  \fi
}
\newcommand{\Calendar}[3]{%
  \noindent
  \fbox{\begin{minipage}{\widthof{\Month{#1}}}\raggedright
    \Month{#1}\\
\textcolor{blue}{\textit{#2%
\ifcase #2\or% 0
st\or % 1
nd\or % 2
rd\or % 3
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
st\or % 21
nd\or % 22
rd\or % 23
th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or th\or % 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
st% 31
\fi}}
\\
\textcolor{red}{\textbf{#3}}\\
  \end{minipage}}%
}

\begin{document}

\Calendar{2}{2}{1989}

\Calendar{1}{31}{1990}

\Calendar{5}{23}{1991}% Problem!!!

\end{document}

BTW: For more nice boxes see tcolorbox.