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How to set the tab order |
  
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How to set the tab order |
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The tab order is the order in which controls are activated when you press the Tab key to move from control to control in the data entry window. The control with the Tab order value of 0 is the control that has the focus when the form first appears.
Initially, the tab order is always the order in which the controls were added to the form. The first control added to the form has a Tab order value of 0, the second is 1, the third is 2, and so on.
Fields placed on a tab page, or within a group box, have their own tab order.
If you want to use the Tab key to move from field to field, it is important that the tab order is correct for the cursor to move in a logical order.
There are three ways to update the tab order:
| • | Right-click a form control and choose Properties from the popup menu, then manually update the Tab Order property. |
| • | Update the tab order in the 'Tab Order' window. To activate this window, either choose Edit Tab Order from the File menu (to update the tab order of all controls on the form), or right-click a tab page and choose Edit Tab Order from the popup menu (to edit the tab order of only the controls on this tab page). The main part of this window is occupied by two lists. You select 'container' control from the list to the left. A container control is a special control that can contain other controls, and is either the form itself, a tab page of a tab control, or a group box. The tab numbering is separate for each container control. The list to the right displays the controls in the selected container control. The order of the controls corresponds to the current tab order. To automatically update the tab order of these controls, click the Automatic button.  |
| • | Let the program automatically update the tab order of all form objects. For more information, see The Auto Update Tab Order function. |