Befuddled with Tab vs Enter

[Steve McCourt]

On a data entry form I have a "Save this Record" button with a script attached to its 'OnPush' event. When I am on the button and press the ENTER key or when I click on the button with the mouse, everything works fine. However, I let the end user do some playing and she uses the Tab key rather than the ENTER key. When she is on the button and presses the Tab key, while the record is saved, the script doesn't fire and it must do so because of some rather intricate posting requirements. I'm sure there is some way to fix this little problem to accommodate a person who seems to prefer using the Tab key, but I don't have enough experience yet to know how to deal with this. Suggestions are much appreciated.
Thanks.
Steve

[Jake Vuckovic]

RE: Befuddled with Tab vs Enter

I'm not sure how the record gets saved if script doesn't fire. OnPush means what it means. Enter key acts same as mouse click, it pushes the button.
If you want tab to do same thing, you should place the same script on button's OnDepart event.

[CALocklin]

RE: Befuddled with Tab vs Enter

If the record gets saved when she hits the Tab key it's probably because the button is the last tab event on the form. Therefore, Tab sends it to the 'next item' which happens to be the first tabbed item on the next record.

There may be a better way, such as the suggestion to put something in the OnDepart event, but the two suggestions I can offer are: (1) make sure there is at least one other tabbed item after the button, and/or (2) add a script to change the color of the SAVE button in the OnArrive and OnDepart events. I sometimes use a green background in the OnArrive and reset to Gray in the OnDepart so the user knows when the button is active.

[Allen Klimeck]

RE: Befuddled with Tab vs Enter

I think that you could use the on_key event for the form to trap the tab and send an enter instead. Some times it is necessary to use the tab (in certain circumstances) so you would need to trap the tab conditionally.

Here is a sample

if this.active()="the label of your button" then
if a_user.key.value=("{tab}") then
a_user.key.handled=.t.'traps the tab and discards it
sys_send_keys("{enter}")'will push the button
end if
end if

[Mark Sorensen]

RE: Befuddled with Tab vs Enter

had that problem before... many possible solutions. mine has been to attach the script to the "on arrive" of NEXT object after the final entry field. Frequently I just Place a button object, assign it a tab order after the last entry field.

My usual trick is a very small button object with an "*" in in it (just so I know where it is)

This way either a 'tab' or an 'enter' causes focus to 'arrive' on on the button object, the script fires, and everybody is happy. Unless the the inputer use their mouse to alter the tab order........