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For combo box fire box is not supported well for combo boxes for keyboard users.Can you work on comboboxes /select box and make them accessible to keyboard user

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Use default HTML code for select box

Keyboard users open the list using ALT+down arrow key

After viewing the selections in the list using up and down arrow user selects "Esc" key hoping to close the drop down list without making any selection

Expected: The list is closed without selecting the highlighted option

Actual: The list close by selecting the highlighted option

After discussion with many experts I learned that this is issue with browser not supporting the HTML code

Can you please fix this?

Use default HTML code for select box Keyboard users open the list using ALT+down arrow key After viewing the selections in the list using up and down arrow user selects "Esc" key hoping to close the drop down list without making any selection Expected: The list is closed without selecting the highlighted option Actual: The list close by selecting the highlighted option After discussion with many experts I learned that this is issue with browser not supporting the HTML code Can you please fix this?

All Replies (5)

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Hi shirisha, is there a standards document online that describes how it is supposed to work? I am finding inconsistent behavior in different browsers on Windows:

  • Firefox: pressing Esc closes the list of options for the Select, but does not cancel the change made by using the up and down arrows
  • Google Chrome: same as Firefox
  • Internet Explorer 8: pressing Esc activates the Reset button of the form, clearing all inputs/selects back to default input values (I only tested one form...)
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Please refer to DHTML Standard guide on how it should work

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Sorry, but could you be more specific?

https://www.google.com/search?q=DHTML+Standard+guide

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Thank you for the link.

Up and Down Arrow moves focus up and down the list. As focus moves inside the dropdown list, the edit field is updated.

Enter selects the current item on the list, updates the edit field, highlights the selected item in the dropdown list, closes the dropdown list and returns focus to the input field.

Tab moves focus into the edit field (Edit field to hold value of selected item in the dropdown list). A second Tab key selects the current item on the list, updates the edit field, closes the dropdown list, and moves focus to the next focusable item in the tab order.

Escape key closes the dropdown list, returns focus to the edit field, and does not change the current selection.

I am a little confused by the terms "edit field" and "current selection." The arrows update the "edit field" but pressing Esc should not change the "current selection." There must be some discussion of what that was intended to mean in order for Firefox and Chrome to work so differently from Internet Explorer...