[AUCTeX-devel] An exercise in folding...

[David Kastrup]

Hi,

TeX has a rather verbose output when one uses \showbox.  In many
cases, one would rather want to see a much more compact rendition.
Here is typical output:

> \box255=
\vbox(397.39815+3.04161)x401.18385
.\vbox(395.43976+5.0)x401.18385
..\glue 0.0 plus -6.0
..\glue 0.0 plus 6.0
..\glue 0.0 plus -6.0
..\glue 0.0 plus 6.0
..\glue(\topskip) 2.572
..\hbox(7.428+1.91037)x332.89726, glue set 0.88617
...\kern-0.39247 (left margin)
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 V
...\kern-0.86574
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\discretionary replacing 1
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
....\kern-0.21933
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 h
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 �
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 l
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 t
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 s
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 s
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 s
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 b
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 l
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 d
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 d
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\discretionary replacing 1
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
....\kern-0.21933
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 s
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 t
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 ,
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 d
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 v
...\kern-0.21933
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 o
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 d
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\write4{\indexentry{Scholastik}{\thepage }}
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 S
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 c
...\kern-0.15007
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 h
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 o
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 l
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 a
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 s
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 t
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 k
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 a
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 c
...\kern-0.15007
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 h
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 I
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 h
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 a
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 l
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 t
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 u
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 d
...\glue(\rightskip) 0.0
..\glue(\baselineskip) 3.50963
..\hbox(7.428+3.04161)x332.89726, glue set 0.90141
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 Z
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 u
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 s
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 a
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 m
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 m
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 h
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 a
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 g
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 d
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 g
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 l
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 t
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 g
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 h
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\discretionary replacing 1
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
....\kern-0.21933
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 a
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 u
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 s
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 g
...\kern0.17314
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 a
...\discretionary replacing 1
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
....\kern-0.21933
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 b
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 t
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 t
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\write4{\indexentry{Kirchenwahrheit(en)}{\thepage }}
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 K
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\discretionary replacing 1
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
....\kern-0.21933
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 c
...\kern-0.15007
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 h
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\discretionary
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 w
...\kern-0.15007
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 a
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 h
...\discretionary replacing 1
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
....\kern-0.21933
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 h
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 t
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 .
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 H
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\discretionary replacing 1
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
....\kern-0.21933
....\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 -
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 n
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 d
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 a
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 r
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 f
...\glue(\rightskip) 0.0
..\penalty 10000
..\glue(\baselineskip) 2.37839
..\hbox(7.428+3.04161)x332.89726, glue set 0.84929
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 d
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 i
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\glue 2.71262 plus 1.62756 minus 0.64641
...\write4{\indexentry{Gegenwart}{\thepage }}
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 G
...\T1/mgm/m/n/11.54312 e
...\discretionary

Now of course, one would rather want to read this as

Verhältnisses bilden die ersteren, die von der Scholastik nach Inhalt und
Zusammenhang endgiltig herausgearbeitete Kirchenwahrheit. Hierin darf
die Ge

This would make the reading of such output _much_ more readable, and
much easier to compare with the corresponding material in the
TeX/DVI/PDF files.  So basically, one would fold one line into a
single character (when in hboxes).  One could still walk through in
unfolding mode in order to get the details.

At the current point of time, by the way,
C-c `
is completely unusable for walking through \showbox: it shows only the
message, but not the box itself, never mind folding it.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum