Microsoft Knowledge Base

• Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions, for Windows, version 5.0

SUMMARY

You can cause the ENTER key to move the focus to the control with the next higher TabIndex property value just 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 CommandButton controls, however, because CommandButtons do not receive the KeyPress event when you press the ENTER key.

Steps to Create Example Program

1. Start Visual Basic, or, if Visual Basic is running, create a new project. Form1 is created by default.

2. Add two textboxes, Text1 and Text2, to Form1.

3. Copy and paste the following code into the Form1 code window:

         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
      
         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
   
   

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

Keywords          : PrgCtrlsStd vb5all vb5howto VBKBCtrl_VBKBStd kbusage kbhowto
Version           : 5.00
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto