Tab Order? 1

[schworak]

In NETSCAPE 4.5, how can I control the TAB ORDER of a form?

What I want is to pre-select the first field. I am currently doing this using the .focus() function and that works great. But when I press the TAB key, the focus doesn't go to the next field. It goes to the location bar, then the first link on the page and follows the links until it gets back to the form.

But, if I let the form load without using the .focus() function and CLICK on the first field to select it, the tab order works properly within the form.

So how can I tell netscape to set focus on the first field in the form and also move the the next field when the tab is hit?

 

[jaredn]

it might not be a good idea, but onblur you can force the focus into the next field... jared@aauser.com

 

[schworak]

Yeah, that woudn't be a good idea. I tried it and it was ok on a small form with no other links on the screen, but it caused problems when on a large form and in this case there is an index on the left. If the user decides not to complete the form he/she is forced from one item to the next. And SHIFT+TAB won't work either in that case.

Nice throught though.

 

[PepperPepsi]

Hi schworak,

You can try to use the "TABINDEX" attribute to control the tabbing, for more infomation you can find in the following page

http://www.webreference.com/dlab/books/html-pre/42-6.html

however, the tabindex attribute only works for IE and NS6

hope this helps, Chiu Chan
cchan@gefmus.com

http://www.emagine-solutions.com

 

[schworak]

This problem only exists under netscape prior to version 6.

It is like the focus(); command does set focus to the right field, but netscape thinks the next field to tab to is the location bar in the window not the next field in the form.

Oh well. anoying but I can live with it if that is just a netscape bug.

 

[sampa]

Thanks for the report "SCHWORAK", about this Netscape's behavoiur ,But could you please extend your ideas as to if this behaviour of netscape is particular to a specific enviroment.I am using a HTML form with many many text fields and facing the same problem under the HP UX environment.
Is it sure that the bug is gone with the Netscape 6 version?
Or is there exit some way out in Netscape 4.7?