Using the Enter key instead of Tab

Anthony1312002 · Aug 24, 2004

I have a form that has six fields. Is there a script that will allow a user to use the enter key instead of the tab key to get from one field to the next and then at the end of the form, fire the submit button?

jemminger · Aug 24, 2004

i've written such a function a while back:

Code:

function changeEnter() {
  //  makes the enter key work as tab key on forms 
  if (event.keyCode == 13) {
    try {
      this.form.elements[window.tabOrder[(this.index + 1)]].focus();
    } catch(el) {}
    return false;
  }
}

function setChangeEnter(f) {
  //  attaches changeEnter() to form elements, except SUBMIT, BUTTON, TEXTAREA, HIDDEN
  if (f) {
    window.tabOrder = [];
    var els = f.elements;
    for (var x = 0, ndx = 0; x < els.length; x++) {
      if (!els[x].type || els[x].type.toLowerCase().contains("submit","button","textarea","hidden")) {
        continue;
      }
      else {
        window.tabOrder[window.tabOrder.length] = x;
        els[x].index = ndx++;
        els[x].onkeydown = changeEnter;
      }
    }
  }
}

to use it, just call it onload like

Code:

window.onload = function() {
  setChangeEnter(document.getElementById("myFormId"));
}

or

Code:

<body onload="setChangeEnter(document.getElementById('myFormId'));">

NOTE: as-is, this script only works in IE. could be made to work in Moz pretty easily...

=========================================================
-jeff

http://www.jeffemminger.com

try { succeed(); } catch(E) { tryAgain(); } finally { rtfm(); }

Anthony1312002 · Aug 25, 2004

I've taken a look at the script but I need a littel help. In the onload event where it says ('myFormId'), what should go here?

cLFlaVA · Aug 25, 2004

The value in the ID property of your FORM.

If your form tag looks like:

[tt]<form name="the_form" id="the_form" method="post"...>[/tt]

Then the ID would be the_form, so you'd call like this:

[tt]<body onload="setChangeEnter(document.getElementById('the_form'));">[/tt]

*cLFlaVA
----------------------------
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The bartender asks, "Are you aware that you have a steering wheel down your pants?"
The pirate replies, "Arrrrr! It's driving me nuts!

Anthony1312002 · Aug 25, 2004

Thanks, that cleared things up.

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Using the Enter key instead of Tab

Anthony1312002

Programmer

jemminger

Programmer

Anthony1312002

Programmer

cLFlaVA

Programmer

Anthony1312002

Programmer

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