tabbing thru- not within- text areas

[jim]

In Servoy, if one wants to show more than one line of text in a field, one sets property:displayType to TEXT_AREA, instead of TEXT_FIELD.

A problem arises when the end user is tabbing through the fields: when they come to the multiline field- the TEXT_AREA one- they will not tab on through to the next field, but start tabbing within the field- indefinitely, it seems.

I can see why a TEXT_AREA wherein one can tab indefinitely may be useful; it emulates a text editor, and can provide the expected behavior when the field is the body of a letter, for example. But in other (probably more numerous) instances, this tabbing behavior may be vexing to the end user: they expect to tab to the next field when hitting the tab key.

At present, any time that the amount of text that the end user inputs may be greater than what the length of the field will allow for display, the user must use the arrow key to view the "hidden" text. Or, any time one wishes to have more than one line of text show in a field, a TEXT_AREA must be used, and the tabbing problem will happen.

Can the fine programmers at Servoy provide a displayType that allows for multiple lines, but does not tab within? Ya know, just like a text field in a certain popular database program that shall remain nameless.

Thanks,

Jim Schliestett

[Westy]

This has come up before. See:

http://forum.servoy.com/viewtopic.php?t=1914&highlight=textarea+tab

I personally agree with you and some of my customers have complained about what you describe. However, there are others who disagree.

So I vote for a new option that will allow us to go either way.

Dean

[rodneysieb]

Hi

I second this, there should be an option. My users also find this annoying.

[ApeWare]

How about using a modifier key like opt/alt. If you use the modifier key when you hit tab it will tab in the field?

[jim]

Using the control key appears to allow a tab-out of text areas, in OSX at least.

This is, however, exactly backwards of what most users would expect, and represents an unnecessary training/tech-support issue. A tabbing action, when more than one field is 'in play', is expected to take the user to the next modifiable field. Not just sometimes; always. When only one field is 'in play' (such as a word processing document or the equivalent), the expected behavior is that tabbing will move the user predictably further ahead in the same field (document). A modifier key should support an alternative possibility, not a behavior that is expected by default.

In my original post, I requested another displayType property. I wonder, though: might it not be better to just switch the function of the control key in text areas (and, for that matter, text fields)?

No control key = tab through text areas and text fields
Yes control key = tab within the text area (or text field)

I'm not sure that tabbing within a text field will have much practical utility, but the advantage of including it with the clearly useful tabbing within a text area is consistency, from the user's perspective. They have no idea that there is a distinction between text fields and text areas; they just want consistent behavior! And, behavior that conforms to their reasonable expectations.

But, in any event, tabbing through (out of) text areas by default, and allowing tabbing within text areas by holding down the control key seems like an obvious improvement. Is there a technical reason why it cannot be implemented?

Jim

[coulombre]

I agree with this one as well. I suspect that putting a tab character in a text area is less likely than wanting to tab to the next field. In that case, use the modifier key to enter the tab character, and no modifier moves one along to the next field.

Cheers,

Rich Coulombre

[antonio]

I'd like to add my voice to this request. (and have requested it before too!)
http://forum.servoy.com/viewtopic.php?t=6169&highlight=tab

Behaviour of TAB in a multi-line field should be optionally modifiable. Let's say you have a form

First name (text-field)
Surname (text-field)
Address (text-area)
State (text field)

If First Name is the active field and your user would like to tab down to State field, they can't. The cursor gets to Address, then all that happens is tab characters get inserted into the text-area. Not intuitive at all. Can we PLEASE have a property for text-area elements that optionally sets the tab behaviour. (FM refugees will know this ability to control not only TAB but also the Enter and Return keys is quite handy).

[Harjo]

My vote, also!

Did anyone file it allready in to support solution?
If so, please mention this thread on the forum.

[jim]

How does one 'file it ... in to support solution'?

[antonio]

see http://forum.servoy.com/viewtopic.php?t=6361

Log in at http://crm.servoy.com/servoy-webclient/ ... oy_support

I've just made an entry, mentioned this thread.

[olivier melet]

+1

[mjekl]

Posted by jim:

No control key = tab through text areas and text fields
Yes control key = tab within the text area (or text field)

Completly agree!
I've also entered a support request.

Miguel