LaTeXML::Object(3pm)					User Contributed Perl Documentation				      LaTeXML::Object(3pm)

NAME

       "LaTeXML::Object" - abstract base class for most LaTeXML objects.

DESCRIPTION

       "LaTeXML::Object" serves as an abstract base class for all other objects (both the data objects and control objects).  It provides for
       common methods for stringification and comparison operations to simplify coding and to beautify error reporting.

   Methods
       "$string = $object->stringify;"
	   Returns a readable representation of $object, useful for debugging.

       "$string = $object->toString;"
	   Returns the string content of $object; most useful for extracting a usable string from tokens or boxes that might representing a
	   filename or such.

       "$boole = $object->equals($other);"
	   Returns whether $object and $other are equal.  Should perform a deep comparision, but the default implementation just compares for
	   object identity.

       "$boole = $object->isaToken;"
	   Returns whether $object is an LaTeXML::Token.

       "$boole = $object->isaBox;"
	   Returns whether $object is an LaTeXML::Box.

       "$boole = $object->isaDefinition;"
	   Returns whether $object is an LaTeXML::Definition.

       "$digested = $object->beDigested;"
	   Does whatever is needed to digest the object, and return the digested representation.  Tokens would be digested into boxes; Some
	   objects, such as numbers can just return themselves.

       "$object->beAbsorbed($document);"
	   Do whatever is needed to absorb the $object into the $document, typically by invoking appropriate methods on the $document.

AUTHOR

       Bruce Miller <bruce.miller@nist.gov>

COPYRIGHT

       Public domain software, produced as part of work done by the United States Government & not subject to copyright in the US.

perl v5.10.1							    2009-06-11						      LaTeXML::Object(3pm)