bracketsmath-mode
Is there a way to typeset a square bracket without using the symbols [ and ]?
What I am looking for is like \vert instead of |.
Motivation is a need for a workaround in using LaTeX formulas inside Moodle wiki pages.
The latter use square brackets to start a new page (like [page-name]), and this functionality interferes with scripts processing LaTeX formulas (which otherwise are ok in Moodle HTML/wiki).
I got the definition below after some tinkering. It seems to look fine at any size.
\documentclass[a4paper,12pt]{article}
\pagestyle{empty}
\usepackage{mathtools}
\def\multiset#1#2{\ensuremath{\left(\kern-.3em\left(\genfrac{}{}{0pt}{}{#1}{#2}\right)\kern-.3em\right)}}
\begin{document}
Consider an inline multiset, \multiset{n}{k}, or a displayed one,
\[ \multiset{n}{k}, \]
or perhaps even a displayed one with something big up- and downstairs,
\[\multiset{
{\displaystyle \sum_{j=1}^n n^j}}
{{\displaystyle \sum_{j=1}^n (-1)^j n^j}}_{n \text{ even}}.
\]
\end{document}
Here's another solution using TiKZ which gets you a look more or less as you describe.
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{matrix}
\tikzset{
grouping/.style={inner sep=2pt, baseline=0ex, left delimiter={[}},
grouplabel/.style={anchor=west, yshift=0.125\baselineskip}
}
\newlength\groupinglength
\setlength\groupinglength{\textwidth}
\def\BEGIN #1 \END{%
\bgroup
\addtolength\groupinglength{-1ex}%
\hspace*{1.5ex}%
\tikz \node [grouping] {\hspace{-0.5ex}\parbox{\groupinglength}{#1}};%
\egroup
}
\newcommand\labelledgroup[3]{%
\begin{tikzpicture}[every left delimiter/.style={yshift=-0.1\baselineskip}]
\addtolength\groupinglength{-1ex}%
\node [grouping, inner ysep=0.5\baselineskip] (block) {%
\parbox{\groupinglength}{#2}%
};
\node [grouplabel] at (block.north west) {#1};
\node [grouplabel] at (block.south west) {#3};
\end{tikzpicture}%
}
\newcommand\IF[2]{\labelledgroup{if #1}{#2}{}}
\newcommand\ELSE[1]{\\[-0.6\baselineskip]\labelledgroup{else}{#1}{end}}
These definitions define macros to produce code blocks, which have a uniformly customizable delimiter on the left. Each distinct line of code, or code block, should be ended with an end-of-line. We define the \IF and \ELSE block in terms of a generic code block, which starts off (and conceivably ends, as well) with some label aligned with the top of the delimiter. You could use similar code to define a repeat ... until code block, or a procedure ... return block. The various dimensions were picked more or less arbitrarily, except for the cases of 0.5\baselineskip.
\begin{document}
\BEGIN
Get the height of the box \texttt{hBox} \\
Get the width of the box \texttt{wBox} \\
Get the length of the box \texttt{lBox} \\
$\texttt{vol} = \texttt{hBox} \times \texttt{wBox} \times \texttt{lBox}$ \\
\IF {$\texttt{vol} > 10$}%
{Display \textit{``Your box is too big''}}
\ELSE
{Display \textit{``Your box is right-sized''}} \\
\END
\end{document}
As it's currently defined, \BEGIN ... \END will complain if there's a blank line. There are a few ways to get around that (e.g. simply by using different syntax); I've written it in this way instead to keep things simpler and to emulate some of the syntax for existing algorithm/pseudocode packages.
Edit the code (e.g. remove the "end" in the definition of \ELSE) and define other blocks (perhaps things like \FOR and \WHILE) to get the sort of algorithm presentation that you want.
Best Answer
Yes, there is: