Make Enter Key act like Tab

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeff
  • Start date Start date
J

Jeff

My .aspx page - written with vb.net, has several text
boxes and a command button at the bottom. Is there any
way to make it so when users press Enter on a text box it
acts as if they pressed the Tab - and sets focus to the
next text box? Now it runs the command button's click
event.
 
You'll have to write client-side JavaScript but in general tabbing is
FUBAR in ASP.NET. Visual Studio.NET is also FUBAR in this
regard.

Microsoft talks a big game about accessibility and actually I have a lot
of respect for what the company has done in this regard but the failure
to provide complete control of tab indices and tab order is FUBAR.

Why should a blind person be forced to tab into the address bar of
the browser when trying to use a form? This is f*cking insane.

Why does Visual Studio.NET 2002 not include a Tab Order on the View
menu the way some documentation claims?

Apparently, the DNF is so FU in this context that there is no property
that can be used to disable a tab index for labels and other controls
not wanted or needed in the tab index collection that by default impose
themselves into the tab index and thus affect the tab order.

Who needs to be required to tab through a f'ing label unless it is an imperative
usability requirement?

I've been struggling with this for weeks hoping to learn its just me, posting
requests for information and getting nowhere. Even the MVPs have
refused to provide any response which I suspect is because this issue is
so totally FUBAR that nobody wants to acknowledge it.

This makes a mockery of user interface design for accessible applications
and does nothing useful for ASP.NET applications in general.

--
<%= Clinton Gallagher
A/E/C Consulting, Web Design, e-Commerce Software Development
Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin USA
NET (e-mail address removed)
URL http://www.metromilwaukee.com/clintongallagher/

LaGarde StoreFront 5 Affiliate: e-Commerce Software Development
SEE: http://www.storefront.net/default.asp?REFERER=-201499070
 
it's true controlling the tab order is tedious but you have full control
of the order in asp.net. set the tabindex on each control such that the
tab order follows what you expect. also, i can't tab into a text label
so i dont know what this guy is referring to.

now to your question, to cause the enter key to act as a tab key, you
need javascript. basically you need to add some complex set code in an
event that runs just before onsubmit. since asp.net writes javascript
that controls that event (if using server controls) you need another
event (onclick might be a suitable one.)
 
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