Specifying the Tab Order for Form Controls
The tab order refers to the sequence in which the controls on a form are visited when you press Tab or Ctrl+Tab or use an Alt+shortcut key combination. When you create a Form Design file, it is important that the default tab order be correct.
When a Form Design file is open in the Form Designer, you can view and set the tab order of the controls. Clicking each control in the desired tab order sets the tab order.
1. If the Form Design file is not already open, then open it.
2. Select > . Numbered boxes appear, indicating the current tab order.
Because inserted images and static text labels are not part of the tab sequence, they are assigned negative values (for images) or zero values (for static text labels) so that they are not selected as Tab is pressed to move through the form’s controls.
If the tab order is correct, press Esc to have the Form Designer exit the tab order mode without saving changes. Clicking off of a control also causes the Form Designer to exit the tab order mode.
3. If the tab order is incorrect, change it:
◦ To begin reordering from the first control onward, click the control to assign a tab order of 1, and then, click the control to assign a tab order of 2, and so on.
◦ To begin reordering from a particular tab onward, press and hold down Ctrl while you click the control where the reordering is to start and then click the controls that are to follow it in sequential order. For example, to reorder from tab order 9 onward, press and hold down Ctrl, click on tab order 9, and release Ctrl. Repeat this process again for tab order 10, 11, and so on.
4. Once the tab order is assigned, click in any empty area of the Form Design file. The Form Designer saves your changes and exits the tab order mode.
6. When finished, close the Form Design file.