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ToBoxes
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ToBoxes

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ToBoxes[expr]

generates boxes corresponding to the printed form of expr in StandardForm.

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ToBoxes[expr,form]

gives the boxes corresponding to output in the specified form.

Details

Examples

open allclose all

Basic Examples  (3)Summary of the most common use cases

Box representation of a polynomial:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-bajktq
Out[1]=1

Display boxes as formatted:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-yk3y6

Box representation of a graphic:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-9c4n3
Out[1]=1

A special function in StandardForm and TraditionalForm:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-dppn9w
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-b0a0o6
Out[2]=2

Scope  (8)Survey of the scope of standard use cases

Basic Objects  (2)

Integer, Rational, Real, and Complex numbers:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-i75qpv
Out[1]=1

Arbitrary-precision Real and Complex numbers:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-652ag
Out[2]=2

Special constants:

In[3]:=3
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-bf2gka
Out[3]=3

Characters and strings of characters:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-29qm2
Out[1]=1

Control characters for strings:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-3woc0
Out[2]=2

Special Input Forms  (4)

Box representations for various Power expressions:

In[1]:=1
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-pcg7g
Out[1]=1

Special typeset expressions:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-c7uctz
Out[1]=1

Different list structures:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-e1jvdo
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-efjkce
Out[2]=2
In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-dl5cpv
Out[3]=3
In[4]:=4
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-ejusjr
Out[4]=4

Inputs with subscripts, superscripts, etc.:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-b1e7oh
Out[1]=1

Special Output Forms  (2)

Some objects use a special output representation with interpretation:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-ll6e3
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-hto019
Out[2]=2

Some objects use an elided output representation:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-c9r1b7
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-22dbz
In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-dnso2j
Out[3]=3
In[4]:=4
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-oht4s

Properties & Relations  (5)Properties of the function, and connections to other functions

ToBoxes evaluates expr, while MakeBoxes does not:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-v65hi
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-j9yqkw
Out[2]=2

Use ToExpression to interpret boxes:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-fq1fvd
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-b07zzf
Out[2]=2

Use DisplayForm to see how the boxes display:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-epiuvz
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-1l0z6

Use formatting rules added through Format:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-nvqw04
Out[1]=1

Add formatting for bin:

In[2]:=2
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https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-iccb0a
In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-cwe5mx
Out[3]=3

Use formatting rules added through MakeBoxes:

In[1]:=1
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-cu9ddt
Out[1]=1
In[2]:=2
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-yq1c0
In[3]:=3
✖
https://wolfram.com/xid/0cqy5mv2-gx9gdy
Out[3]=3
Wolfram Research (1996), ToBoxes, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html.
✖
Wolfram Research (1996), ToBoxes, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html.

Text

Wolfram Research (1996), ToBoxes, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html.

✖
Wolfram Research (1996), ToBoxes, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html.

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1996. "ToBoxes." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html.

✖
Wolfram Language. 1996. "ToBoxes." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1996). ToBoxes. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html

✖
Wolfram Language. (1996). ToBoxes. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_toboxes, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ToBoxes}", year="1996", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html}", note=[Accessed: 09-April-2025 ]}

✖
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_toboxes, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ToBoxes}", year="1996", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html}", note=[Accessed: 09-April-2025 ]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2025_toboxes, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ToBoxes}, year={1996}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html}, note=[Accessed: 09-April-2025 ]}

✖
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_toboxes, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ToBoxes}, year={1996}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html}, note=[Accessed: 09-April-2025 ]}