Microsoft Knowledge Base

MXL5: Can't Set Tab Order for Control Other Than Edit Box
Last reviewed: September 12, 1996
Article ID: Q127790
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel, when you use the Tab Order dialog box to change the order in which you select controls with the TAB key in a custom dialog box, any buttons or list box controls in the Tab Order list are ignored.

CAUSE

The Tab Order dialog box allows you to set the order in which controls in a dialog box are activated when you press the TAB key. However, in Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, the only controls that you can activate in a custom dialog box by using the TAB key are the edit box and the spinner control. The following controls are NOT affected by the Tab Order dialog box, and cannot be activated using the TAB key: 

   List Box
   Option Button
   Check Box
   Drop Down
   Scroll Bar
   Button
This behavior is by design of dialog boxes on the Macintosh. The tab key is not used to select buttons or list boxes in a dialog box. However, all of the controls that appear in a dialog box are available in the Tab Order list in the Tab Order dialog box, making it appear that you can control the order in which these controls are activated.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

   ARTICLE-ID: Q129476
   TITLE     : XL5: Focus Method Doesn't Set Focus to Correct Dialog
               Control

REFERENCES

For more information about the Tab Order Button, choose the Search button in MS Excel Help and type: 

   tab order of controls

KBCategory: kbprg
KBSubcategory: xlmac

Additional reference words: 5.00



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Last reviewed: September 12, 1996
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