HOWTO: Make ENTER Key Move Focus Like TAB Key for VB Controls

• Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions, for Windows, version 5.0
• Microsoft Visual Basic Professional and Enterprise Editions, 16-bit only, for Windows, version 4.0

SUMMARY

You can cause the ENTER key to move the focus to the control with the next higher TabIndex property value, as the TAB key does.

However, using the ENTER key to move the focus does not follow recommended Microsoft Windows-based application design guidelines. The ENTER key should be used to process the default command or to process entered information, not to move the focus.

MORE INFORMATION

You can detect when the user presses the ENTER key from the KeyPress event procedure by checking to see if the KeyAscii parameter is the character code for the ENTER key (13). Then you can move the focus to the next control in the TabIndex order with SendKeys "{tab}." You can move the focus to the previous control with SendKeys "+{tab}."

This technique works with most kinds of controls. It does not work with command button controls, because command buttons do not receive the KeyPress event when you press the ENTER key.

Step-by-Step Example

1. Start Visual Basic for Windows. if Visual Basic for Windows is already running, click New project on the File menu (press ALT, F, N). Form1 is created by default.

2. Add two text boxes (Text1 and Text2) to Form1.

3. Enter the following code in the Text1 KeyPress procedure:

         Private Sub Text1_KeyPress (KeyAscii As Integer)
            If KeyAscii = 13 Then  ' The ENTER key.
               SendKeys "{tab}"    ' Set the focus to the next control.
               KeyAscii = 0        ' Ignore this key.
            End If
         End Sub
   
   

4. Enter the following code in the Text2 KeyPress procedure:

         Private Sub Text2_KeyPress (KeyAscii As Integer)
            If KeyAscii = 13 Then  ' The ENTER key.
               SendKeys "{tab}"    ' Set the focus to the next control.
               KeyAscii = 0        ' Ignore this key.
            End If
         End Sub
   
   

5. Press the F5 key to run the program. When you press the ENTER key, the focus moves between the two controls.

Keywords          : PrgCtrlsStd vb416 VB4WIN vb5all vb5howto VBKBCtrl_VBKBStd
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,5.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto