How to use Tab Order

[mkornatzki]

Hi,

i try to understand how to use the "Tab Order" in SwingDesigner. If the function is documented please direct me to the place (i don't find it in the docu because of the lack of a search function).
If i click the "Tab Order" in the palette then on every component i see a yellow rectangle with an order number.
And if i click on the container-properties "tab order" i can change the order.

Now my question: what happens if i click on the yellow rectangles?
* if i click only on the rectangle than it counts up until the end (but not every time)
* if i click on the container and then the rechtange it starts at 0
* and sometimes if i click on an rectangle it changes to the last order numer

And next, even if my tab order looks as the following:


if i tab through the fields the order (with the numers above) is: 3, 4, 2, 1
That means it starts in the first field and with tab the next field is the top right field.

cheers,
michael

[Eric Clayberg]

The Tab Order tool docs are here...

1. Start by selecting the top-level container (such as the JFrame).
2. Activate the Tab Order tool.
3. Click the components in the desired order.
4. Click a component more than once to increment its index.
5. Shift+Click to exclude a component.
6. Ctrl+Click to move the selected index to another component.
7. Deactivate the Tab Order tool by choosing another tool (such as Selection).

Make sure you are selecting the top-level component and not the content pane. The tab order for the top-level component will take precedence.

[mkornatzki]

Thanks, for your response and the link to the docu.
Now i am a bit more confused.

I tried to follow the steps in the documentation but must stop in the first step.
I select the top-level-container (JFrame) and then click the tab order... nothing happens. i mean the tab order didn't get activated. the selected tool is still selection. Do i make something wrong?
If i select the content pane i can activate the tab order but you have written that i don't have to do that.

I could follow the rest of the docu and thought i have an idea how it works.

I tried to exclude a component and to move an index and this i do couple of times then the designer hang for a second and all the tab orders are deleted and i could not set the tab order for the simple 4 textfields.
after that the sourcecode looks as follows:

Code: Select all

setFocusTraversalPolicy(new FocusTraversalOnArray(new Component[]{getExtMenuBar(), getXtmnTest(), getMiCopy(), getMnu(), getTbar(), getVf(), getVf_1(), getVf_3(), getVf_2(), getMi(), getCbmi(), getRbmi(), contentPane}));


cheers,
michael

[Eric Clayberg]

I select the top-level-container (JFrame) and then click the tab order... nothing happens. i mean the tab order didn't get activated. the selected tool is still selection. Do i make something wrong?

I don't know. It works fine when I try it.

At this point, I think we need to see an actual test case from you.

[mkornatzki]

thank you very much.

i started with a new Frame and try the tab order again and know i know to use it

cheers,
michael

[Eric Clayberg]

Glad to hear it.