Shortcut needed for cursor
April 6, 2011 6:57 PM Subscribe
Is there a shortcut that moves your cursor into a box on a web page?
For example, if you want to enter a search in the grey box in the upper corner of this Ask MetaFilter page, but you didn't want to move your mouse there, can you punch in a shortcut so your cursor finds and moves itself into the box?
For example, if you want to enter a search in the grey box in the upper corner of this Ask MetaFilter page, but you didn't want to move your mouse there, can you punch in a shortcut so your cursor finds and moves itself into the box?
tab...tab...tab...until focus on the desired element is achieved
posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:02 PM on April 6, 2011
posted by Confess, Fletch at 7:02 PM on April 6, 2011
in os x, shift-tab goes backwards.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:39 PM on April 6, 2011
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:39 PM on April 6, 2011
Apparently there is a Firefox add-on that works like a charm for this task: Cycle Input Focus. Using a simple keyboard shortcut (ctrl-alt-x & ctrl-alt-c) you can "scroll" back and forth between input forms and type where you want to. All without lifting your hands from your keyboard.
(Oh, and just have to share for those who want to learn more about input fields, an HTML5 guide to forms and auto-focusing to them. Awesome stuff.)
If you don't want to install an add-on but still insist getting to the input box sans mouse, in Firefox you can turn hit F7 to turn on caret browsing. It's slightly faster than tab-bing your way there, but you'd still be a madman if you opted for this solution.
posted by jng at 10:11 PM on April 6, 2011
(Oh, and just have to share for those who want to learn more about input fields, an HTML5 guide to forms and auto-focusing to them. Awesome stuff.)
If you don't want to install an add-on but still insist getting to the input box sans mouse, in Firefox you can turn hit F7 to turn on caret browsing. It's slightly faster than tab-bing your way there, but you'd still be a madman if you opted for this solution.
posted by jng at 10:11 PM on April 6, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks everyone. Is there anything like the firefox add on for chrome?
posted by grak88 at 10:44 PM on April 6, 2011
posted by grak88 at 10:44 PM on April 6, 2011
You could probably make a keyboard shortcut so that, say, Ctrl+t goes 5 tabs. This would speed up the process of getting where you want. Shift+tab goes backwards, so no problem if you go past your target. In fact, on a page like this, shift+tab works well to go to the posting box at the bottom of the page, if there are a lot of comments.
posted by theora55 at 4:57 AM on April 7, 2011
posted by theora55 at 4:57 AM on April 7, 2011
If you know the Name or the Id of the HTML field element, you can write a javascript bookmarklet that could place the cursor there with one click instead of having to Tab / Ctrl+Tab several times. It would look something like:
javascript:document.forms[0].q.focus()
Simply create an internet favorite / bookmark and copy that little snippet into the URL
posted by Jason Wilmot at 6:35 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
javascript:document.forms[0].q.focus()
Simply create an internet favorite / bookmark and copy that little snippet into the URL
posted by Jason Wilmot at 6:35 AM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I recently heard someone mention an add-on called TVFriendly. I haven't tried it out, but apparently it's supposed to do what you're looking for.
posted by tangerine at 1:04 PM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by tangerine at 1:04 PM on April 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
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posted by brainmouse at 7:01 PM on April 6, 2011