\settodepth (LaTeX2e unofficial reference manual (November 2018))

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### 14.4 `\settodepth`

Synopsis:

    \settodepth{len}{text}

Set the length len to the depth of box that LaTeX gets on typesetting the text argument. The length name len must begin with a backslash, `\`.

This will show how low the character descenders go.

    \newlength{\alphabetdepth}
    \settodepth{\alphabetdepth}{abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz}
    \the\alphabetdepth

If you did not set aside the length len, if for example you mistype the above as `\settodepth{\aplhabetdepth}{abc...}`, then you get something like ‘`Undefined control sequence. <argument> \aplhabetdepth`’. If you leave the backslash out of len, as in `\settodepth{alphabetdepth}{...}` then you get something like ‘`Missing number, treated as zero. <to be read again> \setbox`’.

Unofficial LaTeX2e reference manual