WOLFRAM

Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center

ToBoxes[expr]

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

ToBoxes[expr,form]

gives the boxes corresponding to output in the specified form.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Basic Objects  
Special Input Forms  
Special Output Forms  
Properties & Relations  
See Also
Tech Notes
Related Guides
History
Cite this Page

ToBoxes

ToBoxes[expr]

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

ToBoxes[expr,form]

gives the boxes corresponding to output in the specified form.

Details

Examples

open all close all

Basic Examples  (3)

Box representation of a polynomial:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[a + b ^ 2]

Display boxes as formatted:

Wolfram Language code: DisplayForm[%]

Box representation of a graphic:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[[image], StandardForm]

A special function in StandardForm and TraditionalForm:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[Beta[a, b]]
Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[Beta[a, b], TraditionalForm]

Scope  (8)

Basic Objects  (2)

Integer, Rational, Real, and Complex numbers:

Wolfram Language code: Map[ToBoxes, {123, 1 / 23, 1.23, 1 + 23I}]

Arbitrary-precision Real and Complex numbers:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes /@ N[{10 / 3, 10 / 3I}, 20]

Special constants:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes /@ {I, Pi, E}

Characters and strings of characters:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes /@ {"a", "α", "⊕"}

Control characters for strings:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes["A first line A second line", StandardForm]

Special Input Forms  (4)

Box representations for various Power expressions:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes /@ {a ^ x, a^x, Sqrt[a], Sqrt[a], a^(1/(3)), Exp[x], 1 / x, (1/x)}

Special typeset expressions:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes /@ {y'[x], ∫y[x]ⅆx, Subsuperscript[∑, k = 1, n]y[k], Subsuperscript[∏, k = 1, n]y[k], x∈Reals, x∧y∨z}

Different list structures:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[{1, 2, 3}]
Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[(| | | | | - | - | - | | a | b | c | | d | e | f |)]
Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[{{a, b, c}, {d, e, f}}]
Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[(| | | | | - | - | - | | a | b | c | | d | e | f |), TraditionalForm]

Inputs with subscripts, superscripts, etc.:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes /@ {Subscript[x, a], x^a, Overscript[x, a], Underscript[x, a]}

Special Output Forms  (2)

Some objects use a special output representation with interpretation:

Wolfram Language code: Series[Sin[x], {x, 0, 5}]
Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[%]

Some objects use an elided output representation:

Wolfram Language code: Interpolation[{1, 2, 3, 2, 1}]
Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[%]//Short
Wolfram Language code: SparseArray[{{1, 2} -> 1}, {5, 5}]
Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[%]//Short

Properties & Relations  (5)

ToBoxes evaluates expr, while MakeBoxes does not:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[25 / 100, StandardForm]
Wolfram Language code: MakeBoxes[25 / 100, StandardForm]

Use ToExpression to interpret boxes:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[1 / 10]
Wolfram Language code: ToExpression[%]

Use DisplayForm to see how the boxes display:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[1 / 10]
Wolfram Language code: DisplayForm[%]

Use formatting rules added through Format:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[bin[x, y]]

Add formatting for bin:

Wolfram Language code: Format[bin[x_, y_]] := MatrixForm[{{x}, {y}}]
Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[bin[i, j], StandardForm]

Use formatting rules added through MakeBoxes:

Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[gplus[a, b, c]]
Wolfram Language code: gplus/:MakeBoxes[gplus[x_, y_, n_], StandardForm] := RowBox[{MakeBoxes[x, StandardForm], SubscriptBox["⊕", MakeBoxes[n, StandardForm]], MakeBoxes[y, StandardForm]}]
Wolfram Language code: ToBoxes[gplus[a, b, c]]
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.

CMS

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

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_toboxes, author="Wolfram Research", title="{ToBoxes}", year="1996", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_toboxes, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={ToBoxes}, year={1996}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/ToBoxes.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}