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\settodepthSynopsis:
\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’.