`box` — Toggle axes box outlines for chart framing, presentation, and MATLAB `box on` / `box off` workflows.

box controls whether the current axes draw their outer frame. Like MATLAB, RunMat supports box on, box off, and bare box toggling. This is mainly a presentation/state command, so it is usually used alongside axis, grid, and subplot-specific styling.

How `box` works in RunMat

box on enables the axes frame on the current axes.
box off disables the axes frame on the current axes.
Calling box with no argument toggles the current state.
Box state is subplot-local and applies to the currently active axes.

Examples

Turn the axes frame on for a chart

plot(1:5, [1 4 2 5 3]);
box on;

Style subplots independently

subplot(1, 2, 1);
plot(1:5, 1:5);
box off;
subplot(1, 2, 2);
plot(1:5, [5 4 3 2 1]);
box on;

FAQ

When should I turn the box off?

Turn box off for a cleaner, more modern chart style — especially for presentations or publications where the top and right frame edges add visual noise without carrying data. Many style guides prefer open axes (left + bottom only) for scatter plots and line charts.

Does box interact with grid or axis settings?

box, grid, and axis are independent axes-state commands. Turning box off removes the outer frame but doesn't touch grid lines or axis limits. You can combine them freely: box off; grid on; axis tight; is a common clean-chart recipe.

These functions work well alongside box. Each page has runnable examples you can try in the browser.

axis, grid, subplot

More plotting resources

Open-source implementation

Unlike proprietary runtimes, every RunMat function is open-source. Read exactly how box works, line by line, in Rust.

View box.rs on GitHub
Learn how the runtime works
Found a bug? Open an issue with a minimal reproduction.

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box — Toggle axes box outlines for chart framing, presentation, and MATLAB box on / box off workflows.

How box works in RunMat