Dynamic HTML: The Definitive Reference

Name

TABINDEX — NN n/a IE 4 HTML 4

Synopsis

TABINDEX=integer
                  

Optional

A number that indicates the sequence of this element within the tabbing order of all focusable elements in the document. Tabbing order follows a strict set of rules. Elements that have values other than zero assigned to their TABINDEX attributes are first in line when a user starts tabbing in a page. Focus starts with the element with the lowest TABINDEX value and proceeds in order to the highest value, regardless of physical location on the page or in the document. If two elements have the same TABINDEX values, the element that comes earlier in the document receives focus first. Next come all elements that either don’t support the TABINDEX attribute or have the value set to zero. These elements receive focus in the order in which they appear in the document. Because an AREA element cannot be disabled, it always receives focus in turn, except for special handling in IE 4. Typically, an AREA element wired as a link can be triggered with a press of the spacebar once the element has focus.

Note that the Macintosh user interface does not provide for giving focus to elements other than text input fields. Image map areas cannot be tabbed to on the Mac version of IE 4.

Example

<AREA COORDS="20,30,120,70" HREF="contents.html" TARGET="display" TABINDEX=3>

Value

Any integer from 0 through 32767. In IE 4, setting the TABINDEX to -1 causes the element to be skipped in tabbing order altogether.

Default

None.

Object Model Reference ...