11

What's the best way to vertically center inline text for both math and text modes?

Is there something similar to \textsuperscript for non-math mode?

kgo
  • 215
  • In math mode you have \vcenter{\hbox{..}} in text mode you have \raisebox{\dimexpr\depth-.5\totalheight+\fontdimen22\textfont2\relax}{..} (this one is from memory, I can't test it right now). Let's hope in the future \vcenter is extended into text-mode so we do not need to play with this kind of things… – Manuel Jun 18 '15 at 14:10
  • 4
    @Manuel There's \textvcenter in TeX by Topic (12.6.8): \def\textvcenter{\hbox \bgroup$\everyvbox{\everyvbox{}\aftergroup$\aftergroup\egroup}\vcenter} – egreg Jun 18 '15 at 14:14
  • @egreg Magicians existed long before I came to this TeX world, I see. – Manuel Jun 18 '15 at 14:20
  • Thanks for the quick responses. I found the TeX by Topic resource, but my ignorance is limiting my ability to implement @egreg's solution. Do I just use \textvcenter{lipsum}? Is this built in, or do I need to define this macro in the preamble? I can't seem to get it working. – kgo Jun 18 '15 at 14:31
  • After you add the definition that egreg posted you use it like the math mode one basically \textvcenter{\hbox{lipsum}}. – Manuel Jun 18 '15 at 14:34
  • @Manuel Thanks for the clarification. This is exactly what I needed. Now I just wonder why this isn't a standard definition. Also, impressive memory re your first comment! – kgo Jun 18 '15 at 14:50

2 Answers2

6

Maybe something like this? (The trailing unary minus sign at the end of the first row is there just to demonstrate that the "middlescript letter" is aligned on the math-centerline.)

enter image description here

\documentclass{article}

\newcommand\mathmiddlescript[1]{\vcenter{\hbox{$\scriptstyle #1$}}}
\newcommand\textmiddlescript[1]{$\vcenter{\hbox{\scriptsize  #1}}$}

\begin{document}
$x^{a}$  $x_{a}$ $x\mathmiddlescript{a}-$ 

x\textsuperscript{a} x\textsubscript{a} x\textmiddlescript{a}
\end{document}
Mico
  • 506,678
  • Is there a significant difference between your succinct answer for inline text and the one proposed by @egreg in the comment above (\def\textvcenter{\hbox \bgroup$\everyvbox{\everyvbox{}\aftergroup$\aftergroup\egroup}\vcenter})? I just wonder why the TeX by Topic author chose to publish the latter. – kgo Jun 18 '15 at 14:55
  • @kgo Eijkhout's macro allows \setbox0=\textvcenter{...} – egreg Jun 18 '15 at 15:01
  • @egreg - I couldn't have said it more succinctly. :-) – Mico Jun 18 '15 at 15:08
  • 1
    And \setbox0 just hides text? So Eijkhout's solution just adds a hiding functionality to 'middletext'? – kgo Jun 18 '15 at 15:08
6

It's a good occasion for illustrating a macro by Victor Eijkhout, that can be found in TeX by Topic, section 12.6.8; the advantage over directly using \vcenter is that \setbox<number>=\xvcenter{...} is possible.

The \midscript macro chooses a smaller size in (first level) subscripts or superscripts. It won't give good results in second level ones.

\documentclass{article}

% macro by V. Eijkhout in TeX by Topic
\makeatletter
\protected\def\xvcenter{%
  \hbox\bgroup$\everyvbox{\everyvbox{}\aftergroup\m@th\aftergroup$\aftergroup\egroup}%
  \vcenter
}
% The \everyvbox token list will be executed
% just after the { that follows \vcenter;
% the closing } will trigger the three \aftergroup tokens
% so $ will balance the formula started in the outer \hbox
% and \egroup will close it.
% I added to Eijkhout's macro also \m@th to neutralize the
% \mathsurround and \protected, just to be on the safe side.

\DeclareRobustCommand{\midscript}[1]{
  \mathchoice{\mid@script\scriptstyle{#1}}
    {\mid@script\scriptstyle{#1}}
    {\mid@script\scriptscriptstyle{#1}}
    {\mid@script\scriptscriptstyle{#1}}
}
\newcommand{\mid@script}[2]{
  \vcenter{\hbox{$\m@th#1#2$}}
}

\DeclareRobustCommand{\textmidscript}[1]{%
  \xvcenter{\hbox{\scriptsize#1}}%
}
\makeatletter

\begin{document}

$x^{a}$  $x_{a}$ $x\midscript{a}-$ $x^{x\midscript{a}-}$

x\textsuperscript{a} x\textsubscript{a} x\textmidscript{a}

\end{document}

enter image description here

egreg
  • 1,121,712
  • 1
    Does the use of \xvcenter{...} in \textmidscript handle anything more robustly than $\vcenter{...}$ does? – Mico Jun 18 '15 at 16:16