RE: [flexcoders] when is setFocus() not?

[Alex Harui]

selectionBeginIndex = selectionEndIndex = 0

 

________________________________

From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of barry.beattie
Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 10:16 AM
To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [flexcoders] when is setFocus() not?

 

1) Q: have I picked the wrong method and setFocus() is NOT what I want
- or - do I have to construct exactly what I want piece by piece?

[full code below]... I've got a TextInput that updates the underlying
XML when it loses focus (which it does OK). When the buttons are used,
it returns the focus back to the TextInput (which is sort-of does).
the bit I don't like is previously entered value itself have the
focus, ready to be wiped with an accidental keystroke. 

What I really want is to place the cursor either in front or back of
the value so the user has to use the delete or backspace key (or
mouse) to delete/replace the value. I prefer at the back since plenty
of Mac users have forgotten "fn-delete" deletes forwards, not back.

do I have to do this piece by piece or is there something better than
setFocus(). doing this for a couple of controls is OK but I've got
lots to do in reality.

2) Q: is there any work being done to simplify setting of tab-orders,
shortcut keys and key stroke listeners? I've got (many) dozens of form
elements in each view driven off business logic - doing it before in
Javascript was a right royal pain, I was hoping Flex had it easier.

the end users are data entry ppl who rarely use mouses (mice?) and are
very fussy about how the UI performs for data entry (focus, tab
order, short-cut keys, etc)

any suggestions to make my life easier?
thanx

[watch out for text wrap and broken lines]
------------------------------------
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml
<http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml> "
layout="absolute" 
applicationComplete="init()"
>
<!-- NOTE: this just something thrown together to illustrate the
problem -->
<mx:Script>
<![CDATA[
import mx.effects.Blur;
[Bindable]
private var cursor:int = 0;
private var firstIndex:int = 0;
private var lastIndex:int = 0;
[Bindable]
public var questionaire:XML;

private function init():void{
questionaire = <questionaire>
<question category="Brielly" id="71" weight="2" rating=""
text="Unit Test Frameworks" />
<question category="Brielly" id="72" weight="1" rating=""
text="The Cathedral & the Bazaar" />
<question category="Maddison" id="10" weight="1"
rating="" text="Design Patterns" />
<question category="Maddison" id="11" weight="1"
rating="" text="The Pragmatic Programmer" />
<question category="Maddison" id="12" weight="3"
rating="" text="Refactoring to Patterns" />
<question category="Maddison" id="15" weight="2"
rating="" text="Test Driven Development" />
<question category="O'Reilly" id="13" weight="1"
rating="" text="Agile Development" />
</questionaire>;
lastIndex = questionaire.children().length()-1; //
zero-based index/arrays!
first();
}

private function first():void{
cursor = 0;
btnFirst.enabled=false;
btnBack.enabled=false;
if(!btnNext.enabled){btnNext.enabled=true}
if(!btnLast.enabled){btnLast.enabled=true} 
}

private function back():void{
cursor--;
if (cursor == firstIndex){
btnFirst.enabled=false;
btnBack.enabled=false; 
}
if(!btnNext.enabled){btnNext.enabled=true}
if(!btnLast.enabled){btnLast.enabled=true}
}

private function next():void{
cursor++;
if (cursor == lastIndex){
btnNext.enabled=false;
btnLast.enabled=false; 
}
if(!btnFirst.enabled){btnFirst.enabled=true}
if(!btnBack.enabled){btnBack.enabled=true}
}

private function last():void{
cursor = lastIndex;
btnNext.enabled=false;
btnLast.enabled=false;
if(!btnFirst.enabled){btnFirst.enabled=true}
if(!btnBack.enabled){btnBack.enabled=true} 
}

private function onRatingChange(event:Event) :void{ 
[EMAIL PROTECTED] = event.currentTarget.text;
// HERE: focus not quite right <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
event.currentTarget.setFocus();
}
]]>
</mx:Script>
<mx:VBox x="197" y="131" height="100%" width="100%">
<mx:HBox width="100%">
<mx:TextArea width="100%" height="100%" id="questionText"
text="[EMAIL PROTECTED]"/>
</mx:HBox>
<mx:HBox width="100%">
<mx:Button label="|&lt;" id="btnFirst" click="first()" />
<mx:Button label="&lt;&lt;" id="btnBack" click="back()"/>
<mx:Text text="{cursor}"/>
<mx:TextInput id="txtWeight"
text="[EMAIL PROTECTED]"
focusOut="onRatingChange( event )"/>
<mx:Button label="&gt;&gt;" id="btnNext" click="next()"/>
<mx:Button label="&gt;|" id="btnLast" click="last()"/>
</mx:HBox>
</mx:VBox>

</mx:Application>

-----------------------------------