({{, (RefLink[ShowShortBoxForm, paclet:ref/ShowShortBoxForm])
is an option for cells that specifies whether box expressions, which are used to represent two-dimensional forms in a cell, are displayed in a more compact notation when the expression for that cell is viewed.}})

OpenersNotesSection(Spacer1)Details

With the default setting (RefLink[ShowShortBoxForm, paclet:ref/ShowShortBoxForm])->(RefLink[False, paclet:ref/False]), cell expressions involving two-dimensional objects are not displayed in ShortBoxForm. ShortBoxForm, though more compact, is less intuitive to read and interpret. Hence the conventional notation is preferred when viewing and editing cell expressions.

With the setting (RefLink[ShowShortBoxForm, paclet:ref/ShowShortBoxForm])->(RefLink[True, paclet:ref/True]), the expression for a cell containing two-dimensional objects is represented in a compact notation called ShortBoxForm.

To view the expression for a cell, select the cell and choose (MenuGrayLink[Cell ▶ Show Expression, paclet:ref/menuitem/ShowExpression]).

For example, an input cell containing the expression (a^2)+(b^2) would be displayed as: (RefLink[Cell, paclet:ref/Cell])[BoxData[\(a\^2 + b\^2\)], "Input"] with (RefLink[ShowShortBoxForm, paclet:ref/ShowShortBoxForm])->(RefLink[True, paclet:ref/True]); and as (RefLink[Cell, paclet:ref/Cell])[BoxData[(RefLink[RowBox, paclet:ref/RowBox])[{(RefLink[SuperscriptBox, paclet:ref/SuperscriptBox])["a", "2"],"+",(RefLink[SuperscriptBox, paclet:ref/SuperscriptBox])["b", "2"]}]], "Input"] with (RefLink[ShowShortBoxForm, paclet:ref/ShowShortBoxForm])->(RefLink[False, paclet:ref/False]).

({{DocumentationFooterIconsRelatedFunction.png, ({{See Also}, {(MenuGrayLink[Typesetting, paclet:ref/menuitem/Typesetting])}})}})