Re: Form submit question\Tabs

by "Ted Temer" <temer(at)c-zone.net>

 Date:  Tue, 20 Jun 2000 09:49:36 -0700
 To:  "HWGBASICS" <hwg-basics(at)hwg.org>
 References:  mun
  todo: View Thread, Original
Vincent and Floyd:

I may be wrong here but such minor possibilities have never kept my mouth
closed before.

With Windows machines running IE at least:

First -- Tabbing between fields.

Granted, all my forms have been made in FrontPage but EVERY form that I have
created allows the use of the Tab and Shift-Tab to "tab" back and forth
between fields. I have just checked a couple of the forms and can find no
special tags or HTML inserted by FP to do this. I always thought it was the
natural order of things in forms. The tab key simply follows the path of the
table and / or placement of the fields.

Now--As to the Submit Button:

I do not think you CAN stop the use of the Enter Key from activating the
FIRST BUTTON on the form. In fact, I read an article advising that the
Submit Button be the first of any, in a form, so that visitors COULD use it
TO submit the form.

However--having said that ...

All the user has to do is use his Tab Key just as he would in any other
Windows application until the little dashed line shows on the button in
question, to indicate that it is "active". Then the Enter Key will execute
the function just like a Mouse or Art Tablet would.

As I understand it--ONCE the form has information in it, (unless it is in a
multi-line text field), pressing the Enter Key will activate the FIRST of
any buttons contained within the form. Note: There are some exceptions that
produce an error beep. One could insert the CLEAR Button first but that
might anger people more than help the problem. Again, the experienced user
would use his Tab Key to activate the Submit Button and hit Enter.

I suppose one could add a third button ahead of the others that had no
function but that seems a little extreme. Of course, if it was hidden in
some manner, well ...

Also, if you have a multi line text field just before the button, the
visitor would have to use their tab key to "activate" the button or they
would simply get a error beep.

Hopefully, someone else will have a better solution.

Best wishes
Ted Temer
Temercraft Designs Redding, CA
temer(at)c-zone.net
www.temercraft.com/
www.newsredding.com/

>
>
> This might be a bit off topic ;) but I was asked this question this
morning
> by my boss, and I don't know what the answer could be. He has a form that
he
> wants submitted only when the 'submit' button is pushed. Apparently, his
> form will submit when the user presses 'enter' on the keyboard. He doesn't
> want this, he just want the submit button used. I've used forms quite a
bit,
> and never had this problem. Is there something he'd need to disable in the
> form, or maybe in his cgi-script?
>
> Thanks for any help,
>
> - Denise
>
>

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