Function Repository Resource:

ToCompressedBoxes

Source Notebook

Generate boxes corresponding to the printed form of an expression that are compressed where possible

Contributed by: Richard Hennigan (Wolfram Research)

ResourceFunction["ToCompressedBoxes"][expr]

generates boxes corresponding to the printed form of expr using compression where appropriate.

ResourceFunction["ToCompressedBoxes"][expr,form]

gives the boxes corresponding to expr in the specified form.

Details and Options

ResourceFunction["ToCompressedBoxes"] typically produces smaller results than ToBoxes (particularly when images are involved).

ResourceFunction["ToCompressedBoxes"] uses any relevant definitions given for Format and MakeBoxes.

You can see how box structures generated by ResourceFunction["ToCompressedBoxes"] would be displayed by using DisplayForm or RawBoxes.

Examples

Basic Examples (2)

Generate a compressed box representation of an image:

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Display boxes as formatted:

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Compare to ToBoxes:

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Convert an expression to its box representation:

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Check the size:

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Compare to ToBoxes:

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Check the appearance of both:

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Scope (5)

Use the second argument of ToCompressedBoxes to choose the format type:

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Using a single argument is equivalent to choosing StandardForm:

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Compare to TraditionalForm:

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Reduce the box size of large Iconize expressions:

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Check the size:

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Compare to ToBoxes:

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Use Unevaluated to yield behavior like MakeBoxes instead of ToBoxes:

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Without Unevaluated, the given expr will evaluate:

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The boxes produced by ToCompressedBoxes can be smaller than ToBoxes even when raster boxes are not involved:

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$expr = ComplexPlot3D[(z^2 + 1)/(z^2 - 1), {z, -2 - 2 I, 2 + 2 I}]$

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Check the display form:

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Applications (2)

Compress data stored in a DynamicModule:

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Define custom formatting for a function using MakeBoxes:

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$gplus /: MakeBoxes[gplus[x_, y_, n_], StandardForm] := RowBox[{MakeBoxes[x, StandardForm], SubscriptBox["\[CirclePlus]", MakeBoxes[n, StandardForm]], MakeBoxes[y, StandardForm]}];$

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ToCompressedBoxes uses the new formatting automatically:

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Properties and Relations (2)

ToCompressedBoxes will be equivalent to ToBoxes when there is nothing to compress:

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Boxes produced by ToCompressedBoxes will usually round-trip to other formats without significant changes in size:

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$img = \!\(\* NamespaceBox["LinguisticAssistant", DynamicModuleBox[{Typeset`query$$ = "picture of a cat", Typeset`boxes$$ = RowBox[{ TemplateBox[{"\"domestic cat\"", RowBox[{"Entity", "[", RowBox[{"\"Species\"", ",", "\"Species:FelisCatus\""}], "]"}], "\"Entity[\\\"Species\\\", \\\"Species:FelisCatus\\\"]\"", "\"species specification\""}, "Entity"], "[", TemplateBox[{"\"image\"", RowBox[{"EntityProperty", "[", RowBox[{"\"Species\"", ",", "\"Image\""}], "]"}], "\"EntityProperty[\\\"Species\\\", \\\"Image\\\"]\""}, "EntityProperty"], "]"}], Typeset`allassumptions$$ = {{"type" -> "Clash", "word" -> "cat", "template" -> "Assuming \"${word}\" is ${desc1}. Use as ${desc2} instead", "count" -> "2", "Values" -> {{"name" -> "Species", "desc" -> "a species specification", "input" -> "*C.cat-_*Species-"}, {"name" -> "CatBreedClass", "desc" -> " referring to cat breeds", "input" -> "*C.cat-_*CatBreedClass-"}}}}, Typeset`assumptions$$ = {}, Typeset`open$$ = {1}, Typeset`querystate$$ = {"Online" -> True, "Allowed" -> True, "mparse.jsp" -> 1.7209433, "Messages" -> {}}}, DynamicBox[ToBoxes[ AlphaIntegration`LinguisticAssistantBoxes["", 4, Automatic, Dynamic[Typeset`query$$], Dynamic[Typeset`boxes$$], Dynamic[Typeset`allassumptions$$], Dynamic[Typeset`assumptions$$], Dynamic[Typeset`open$$], Dynamic[Typeset`querystate$$]], StandardForm], ImageSizeCache->{119.8, {9., 15.8}}, TrackedSymbols:>{Typeset`query$$, Typeset`boxes$$, Typeset`allassumptions$$, Typeset`assumptions$$, Typeset`open$$, Typeset`querystate$$}], DynamicModuleValues:>{}, UndoTrackedVariables:>{Typeset`open$$}], BaseStyle->{"Deploy"}, DeleteWithContents->True, Editable->False, SelectWithContents->True]\)$