How to Select (Highlight) a GET Field with a Mouse Click

• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5, 2.5a, 2.5b, 2.6, 2.6a

SUMMARY

With the default settings, when you can press the TAB key to move into a GET field, the field that becomes active is selected (highlighted). This is due to having the "Select Field on Entry" Option selected under the Field properties dialog box for the object. However, clicking the mouse to move into a GET field positions the mouse pointer (cursor) at the position you clicked in the field.

This article shows by example how to have a mouse click work the way the TAB key works to select (highlight) the GET field.

MORE INFORMATION

To make the mouse click select the field on entry, add the following code to the WHEN clause under the field Properties as a Procedure:

   KEYBOARD '{HOME}'      && Sends the cursor to the start of the field.
   KEYBOARD '{SHIFT+END}' && Selects entire field if text is clicked.
   KEYBOARD '{CTRL+A}'    && Selects entire field (See note below)

NOTE: The KEYBOARD '{SHIFT+END}' command handles the case where the user clicks to the left of the first character. In that case, without the KEYBOARD '{SHIFT+END}' command, the previous field is highlighted. Similarly, the KEYBOARD '{CTRL+A}' command ensures the entire field is selected (highlighted) if the user clicks in a blank area to the right of the text.