How do I draw a box behind text?

Questions
,
1

I am looking to annotate text with a color-box behind it, with an effect like this:

image
image2004×300 80 KB

The above was achieved with a macro of

#let part(content, angle: 0deg, content_color: black) = {
  box(
    radius: 0.1em, 
    stroke: (2pt + oklch(40%, 0.2, angle, 100%)), 
    fill: oklch(95%, 0.05, angle, 80%), 
    inset: (x: 0.3em, y: 0.3em),
  )[#text(content_color)[#content]]
}

This doesn’t quite do the job, however, because it’s actually a sequence of boxes being drawn at the baseline, and the content floating inside it. These do not compose with plain-text:

image
image2328×300 103 KB

#part([我], angle: 20deg) #part([喺], angle: 80deg) 鄰近 #part([公園], angle: 310deg) #part([見到], angle: 120deg) #part([媽媽], angle: 220deg)

Is there an idiomatic Typst way to keep the text as first-class citizen, and draw the box behind it?

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2

I’m unfortunately not aware of a box variant/mode that does not affect the baseline in the way you need it. However, box lets you adjust the baseline so you can visually shift everything to where you need it. With the exact code you posted, 22% looked right EDIT since your inset is 0.3em, that’s how much you need to adjust the baseline (thanks @Eric):

#set page(width: auto, height: auto, margin: 0.3cm)

#let part(content, angle: 0deg, content_color: black) = {
  box(
    radius: 0.1em, 
    stroke: (2pt + oklch(40%, 0.2, angle, 100%)), 
    fill: oklch(95%, 0.05, angle, 80%), 
    inset: (x: 0.3em, y: 0.3em),
    baseline: 0.3em,
  )[#text(content_color)[#content]]
}

#part([我], angle: 20deg) #part([喺], angle: 80deg) #highlight[鄰近] #part(highlight[公園], angle: 310deg) #part([見到], angle: 120deg) #part([媽媽], angle: 220deg)

baseline
baseline1448×270 101 KB

(The highlight is just for easier character alignment comparison.) You’ll have to adjust it to your case of course.

3

As in this case, the baseline difference is only due to to box’s bottom inset, you can as well just use the 0.3em for the baseline instead of guessing the 22%.

4

I tried that but it didn’t look right to me. Maybe it was just the live preview in the web app though…

Edit: I think it was just me, thanks for pointing this out @Eric!

5

I suggest simply using outset for the y-axis, this will leave the baseline unaffected:

#let part(content, angle: 0deg, content_color: black) = {
  box(
    radius: 0.1em, 
    stroke: (2pt + oklch(40%, 0.2, angle, 100%)), 
    fill: oklch(95%, 0.05, angle, 80%), 
    inset: (x: 0.3em),
    outset: (y: 0.3em),
  )[#text(content_color)[#content]]
}

x-inset + y-outset is the go-to style for inline raw in most of my documents and it served me pretty well.

I think this also has the added benefit of not affecting line spacing, in case the baseline option does, I’m not 100% sure about that. But this also means for tight line spacing this will intersect with the other lines.

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