function s = boxscope(v,vert)
% s = boxscope(v,vert): return picture $s$ of value $v$
%     in a vertical/horizontal ($vert$ is true/false, resp.) format;
%     objects are not supported; datatypes are mostly not explicitly shown

    if nargin<=1
        vert = 0;
    end
    
    if isobject(v)
        warning('dunno how to display objects');
        s = '<object>';
        return;
    end
    
    if ischar(v)
        s(1:(3+length(v)+3)) = '-';
        s([1 end]) = '+';
        m = size(v,1);
        s = [s ; repmat('| ''', m,1) v repmat(''' |', m,1) ; s ];
        return;
    end

    if isempty(v)
        s = ['+----+' ; '|    |' ; '+----+' ];
        return;
    end

    [m,n] = size(v);
    for j = 1:n
        if isnumeric(v)
            tmp = num2str(v(:,j)); % right justify numbers in a column
        end
        for i = 1:m
            if iscell(v) 
                t{i,j} = boxscope(v{i,j},vert);
            elseif isstruct(v)
                t{i,j} = boxstruct(v(i,j),vert);
            elseif isnumeric(v)
                t{i,j} = tmp(i,:);
            else
                error('dunno even what kind of value it is')
            end
            [mm(i,j),nn(i,j)] = size(t{i,j});
      end
    end
    mm = max(mm,[],2); mm = cumsum(1+[0 ; mm]);
    nn = max(nn,[],1); nn = cumsum(1+[0 nn]);
    s(1:mm(end), 1:nn(end)) = ' ';
    s(mm,1:nn(end)) = '-';
    s(1:mm(end), nn) = '|';
    s(mm, nn) = '+';

    for i = 1:m
        for j = 1:n
            tmp = t{i,j}; [mi,nj] = size(tmp);
            s(mm(i)+(1:mi), nn(j)+(1:nj)) = tmp;
        end
    end


function s = boxstruct(v,vert)
% s = boxstruct(v,vert): return picture $s$ of 1-by-1 struct array $v$
%     in a vertical/horizontal ($vert$ is true/false, resp.) format;
%     fields with names ending in $_$ are displayed without the fieldname
%     and without a box around the value

    fields = fieldnames(v);
    s = [];
    for k = 1:length(fields)
        f = fields{k};
        fv = boxscope(getfield(v,f));
        % fix things up if field names ends in $_$
            if f(end) ~= '_'
                f = [f ' '];
            else
                f = ''; % omit fieldname
                % delete surrounding box
                    fv([1 end],:) = []; fv(:,[1 end]) = [];
                % delete surrounding spaces and/or quotes
                    if all(fv(:,1) == ' '), fv(:,1) = []; end
                    if all(fv(:,end) == ' '), fv(:,end) = []; end
                    if all(fv(:,[1 end]) == ''''), fv(:,[1 end]) = []; end
            end
        % build up picture $s$ -- vertically or horizontally, as requested
            if vert
                f = strvcat(f, fv);
                s = strhcat(s, f, ' ');
            else
                f = strhcat(strvcat(' ',[' ' f]), fv);
                s = strvcat(s, strhcat(f, ' '));
            end
    end