TemplateBox

TemplateBox[{box₁,box₂,…},tag]

is a low-level box structure that parameterizes the display and evaluation of the boxes box_i.

TemplateBox["key₁"expr₁,"key₂"expr₂,…,tag]

allows the use of arbitrary expressions that may or may not be boxes.

Details and Options

The parameters of TemplateBox are plugged into functions that create new box expressions to be used for display or evaluation. The option DisplayFunction specifies the function used to construct boxes for display, while InterpretationFunction specifies the function used for evaluation.
If the tag of the TemplateBox is a string, then that style will be used for the TemplateBox.
The following options can be given:

BaseStyle	{}	the style to use
CopyFunction	Automatic	pure function that assembles box_i into a box structure used when copying to the clipboard
DisplayFunction	None	pure function that assembles box_i into a box structure for display
Editable	Automatic	whether to allow box_i to be edited
InterpretationFunction	Automatic	pure function that assembles box_i into a box structure for evaluation
Selectable	Automatic	whether to allow box_i to be individually selected
SyntaxForm	Automatic	how the box should be interpreted for parsing purposes
Tooltip	None	tooltip to display when the mouse cursor is over the box
TooltipDelay	0.	how long to delay before displaying the tooltip
TooltipStyle	{}	style specifications for the tooltip

DisplayFunction, InterpretationFunction and CopyFunction only accept pure functions that allow for simple rearrangement and substitution into a box structure. The functions do not evaluate in the Wolfram Language kernel and do not support standard kernel functionality.
If the association form of TemplateBox is used, then pure functions may use Slot["key_i"] or # key_i to reference the expr_i.
Arguments to pure functions that appear in a Dynamic or in the main argument of a control such as Slider or Checkbox will be treated effectively as if they are DynamicModule variables.
If the DisplayFunction is specified on the stylesheet, all displayed instances of the TemplateBox change uniformly when the stylesheet changes.
One important aspect of a TemplateBox is that it will only allow you to edit and interact with the box arguments to the TemplateBox, not the boxes that are part of the DisplayFunction.
CopyFunctionAutomatic indicates that Edit ▶ Copy should use the boxes generated by either the DisplayFunction or the InterpretationFunction, depending upon the value of the TextClipboardType option.
You can write MakeBoxes and MakeExpression rules that use TemplateBox in order to define new notations.
If a TemplateBox cannot support arbitrary box expressions as parameters, it is generally advisable to use the option Editable->False to prevent users from editing the parameters.

Examples

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Basic Examples (3)

Display a template that is stored in the style "Binomial" in a stylesheet:

Display a template with an explicit DisplayFunction:

Use a template argument as a dynamic value to a Slider:

Scope (1)

Use InterpretationFunction to control how a template evaluates:

Generalizations & Extensions (1)

A value that is not in a box form can be used as part of an interpretation with InterpretationBox:

Options (11)

BaseStyle (1)

Set the base style of a template:

CopyFunction (1)

Set a copy form different from the displayed or interpreted form:

Here is the pasted form:

fowl

DisplayFunction (1)

DisplayFunction overrides any DisplayFunction inherited from the stylesheet:

Editable (1)

The contents of a TemplateBox are editable by default:

SelectableFalse will make it impossible to edit any individual argument of the box:

InterpretationFunction (2)

The InterpretationFunction yields a box structure that will be used for evaluation:

This same structure used as input evaluates to LieBracket:

A value of Automatic causes tag to be used as the function head of the box structure:

Selectable (1)

The contents of a TemplateBox are selectable by default:

SelectableFalse will make it impossible to select any individual argument of the box:

SyntaxForm (1)

SyntaxForm can be used to set the precedence of a TemplateBox used as an operator:

Tooltip (1)

Specify the tooltip that will be displayed when the mouse hovers over a template box:

Tooltip->Automatic generates a tooltip from tag:

TooltipDelay (1)

Set a tooltip with a two-second delay:

TooltipStyle (1)

Change the tooltip background color and font size:

Possible Issues (2)

A DisplayFunction resulting in an invalid box structure can produce an error:

A template parameter cannot be used as both an editable field and a dynamic value:

While the preceding initially displays correctly, attempts to edit it do not update the dynamic values:

Use an InputFieldBox to create an editable field that is also a dynamic value:

Neat Examples (1)

Create a box that displays as a popup menu and evaluates as the selected value:

Evaluating the box as an input returns the selected value:

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