---
name: "LaTeXML::Object"
section: "3pm"
platform: "linux"
package: "latexml"
version: "0.7.0-1"
release: "Debian 7 (Wheezy)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/LaTeXML::Object"
---

# LaTeXML::Object(3pm)

abstract base class for most LaTeXML objects.

## 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.