Mask Editor: Tab Order

The order in which the tab key is used to skip through the individual fields of a search, input or detail display mask when working in the HELiOS interface can be defined using the Mask Editor:

In the Tab order function group of the Ribbon menu you will find the Start editing

function .

By clicking on it, the fields are displayed numbered according to their tab order (highlighted in blue). In addition, a bar is displayed above the mask. This indicates the target container and the next tab index to be assigned by clicking on an element marker, which can be freely selected.

I.e.: If you want to change the position of the second tab index - in this example e.g. from "Sheet" to "Project number" - then you only have to select "2" in the pull-down menu under Next tab index and then click on the element that is currently still assigned with "3".

Proceed in this way for all elements of the mask until you have the desired tab order.

If you do not manually change the selected index under Next tab index, the system will continue to "count down" from the last index with each click. I.e., if you last assigned the position 2, it skips to 3, then to 4, and so on.

With a click on OK in the header of the edit mode all made changes are saved and the edit mode is left, with a click on Cancel no saving of the changed tab sequence(s) takes place,

Alternatively, you can edit the tab order even easier by clicking and dragging mask elements up and down in the Element Explorer when the tab editing mode is active. This changes the tab index, which is indicated next to the element name with its number..

When working with group boxes, please note that the group box itself has a tab index as a mask element, but the tab order of the elements within the group box is looked at separately.

I.e. you can change the tab order of the subordinated group box elements in the context of the group box, but in the context of the entire mask the group box itself only receives one tab index.

The Generate

function, directly next to it in the Tab order function group, automatically generates a tab order when called, which is based on the positions of the elements in the mask.

The tab order is not edited globally, but individually for the active mask. This means: The tab editing mode is active only for the mask for which it was executed, not for other open masks, to which you can switch by clicking on the corresponding tab even during editing.

During the editing mode, only those elements are "offered" that allow a tab stop. Actions such as adding further elements to the mask are not possible during this time, the corresponding functions appear grayed out when editing mode is active.

The Undo action does not refer to changes during the assignment of the tab indices.

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