User interaction

A ComboBox control can be noneditable or editable. In a noneditable ComboBox control, a user can make a single selection from a drop-down list. In an editable ComboBox control, a user can enter text directly into a text field at the top of the list, and can also select an item from the drop-down list.

When the user makes a selection in the ComboBox control list, the label of the selection is copied to the text field at the top of the ComboBox control.

When a ComboBox control has focus and is editable, all keystrokes go to the text box and are handled according to the rules of the TextInput control (see TextInput control), with the exception of the following keys:

Key	Description
Control+Down	Opens the drop-down list and gives it focus.
Shift +Tab	Moves focus to the previous object in the list.
Tab	Moves focus to the next object in the list.

Key

Description

Control+Down

Opens the drop-down list and gives it focus.

Shift +Tab

Moves focus to the previous object in the list.

Tab

Moves focus to the next object in the list.

When a ComboBox control has focus and is noneditable, alphanumeric keystrokes move the selection up and down the drop-down list to the next item with the same first character. You can also use the following keys to control a noneditable ComboBox control:

Key	Description
Control+Down	Opens the drop-down list and gives it focus.
Control+Up	Closes the drop-down list, if open.
Down	Moves the selection down one item.
End	Moves the selection to the bottom of the list.
Escape	Closes the drop-down list and returns focus to the ComboBox control.
Enter	Closes the drop-down list and returns focus to the ComboBox control.
Home	Moves the selection to the top of the list.
Page down	Fills the ComboBox control with the next set of undisplayed items.
Page up	Fills the ComboBox control with the previous set of undisplayed items.

Key

Description

Control+Down

Opens the drop-down list and gives it focus.

Control+Up

Closes the drop-down list, if open.

Down

Moves the selection down one item.

End

Moves the selection to the bottom of the list.

Escape

Closes the drop-down list and returns focus to the ComboBox control.

Enter

Closes the drop-down list and returns focus to the ComboBox control.

Home

Moves the selection to the top of the list.

Page down

Fills the ComboBox control with the next set of undisplayed items.

Page up

Fills the ComboBox control with the previous set of undisplayed items.

When the drop-down list of a ComboBox control has focus, alphanumeric keystrokes move the selection up and down the drop-down list to the next item with the same first character. You can also use the following keys to control a drop-down list:

Key	Description
Control+Up	If the drop-down list is open, returns focus to the ComboBox control's text field and the drop-down list closes.
Down	Moves the selection down one item.
End	Moves the insertion point to the end of the text field.
Enter	If the drop-down list is open, returns focus to the text field and the drop-down list closes.
Escape	If the drop-down list is open, returns focus to the text field and the drop-down list closes.
Home	Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the text field.
Page Down	Displays the next set of undisplayed items.
Page Up	Displays the previous set of undisplayed items.
Tab	Moves the focus to the next object in the list.
Shift+End	Selects the text from the insertion point to the End position.
Shift+Home	Selects the text from the insertion point to the Home position.
Shift+Tab	Moves the focus to the previous object.
Up	Moves the selection up one item.

Key

Description

Control+Up

If the drop-down list is open, returns focus to the ComboBox control's text field and the drop-down list closes.

Down

Moves the selection down one item.

End

Moves the insertion point to the end of the text field.

Enter

If the drop-down list is open, returns focus to the text field and the drop-down list closes.

Escape

If the drop-down list is open, returns focus to the text field and the drop-down list closes.

Home

Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the text field.

Page Down

Displays the next set of undisplayed items.

Page Up

Displays the previous set of undisplayed items.

Tab

Moves the focus to the next object in the list.

Shift+End

Selects the text from the insertion point to the End position.

Shift+Home

Selects the text from the insertion point to the Home position.

Shift+Tab

Moves the focus to the previous object.

Moves the selection up one item.

Note: The page size used by the Page Up and Page Down keys is one less than the number of items that fit in the display. For example, paging down through a 10-line drop-down list shows items 0-9, 9-18, 18-27, and so on, with one item overlapping per page.

Version 1.5

Comments

dougkeen said on May 11, 2006 at 9:26 AM :

On an editable combobox, the Shift+Tab keystroke does NOT work as documented (it does nothing). The Tab keystroke does work as documented (moves focus to the next object in the list)

Current page: http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/15/flex_docs_en/00000232.htm