Hi,
I am using VC# Express 2010.

How do I change the tab order on a form in VC# Express 2010?

Example:
1) First Name Text Box
2) Last Name Text Box
3) Street Text Box
4) City Text Box

The above proper tab order should be 1,2,3,4 for the user.

If the tab order is 1,4,3,2, how do I correct or change the tab order
to 1,2,3,4?

I am using Rod Stephens Book “C# Programming with Visual Studio 2010
24- Hour Trainer Video Lessons on DVD”.

On his instructional DVD he is using Microsoft Visual Studio.
His instructions on changing the tab order is not available in
VC# Express 2010 as shown on the DVD or at least I am not able
to find it.

How do I change the tab order on a form using VC# Express 2010?

Thank You

wsmith8

PS
I find Rod’s book extremely helpful.

Hi wsmith8,

The catch is that the menu item is only there if you click on the form itself. If you have a control selected, then the menu item is missing.

So click on a form, open the View menu, and select the Tab Order command. Then click on the controls in the order that you want them to have. When you're done, press [Esc] to get out of tab order viewing mode.

You can also set controls' TabIndex properties in the Properties window, but that's much more tedious.

PS
I find Rod’s book extremely helpful.

Thanks! Post a review!

Let me know if you have other comments or suggestions.

__________________
Rod

Rod Stephens, Microsoft MVP

Essential Algorithms: A Practical Approach to Computer Algorithms

(Please post reviews at Amazon or wherever you shop!)

Rod,

When I click on a form and then the View menu I get the following choices from the View Menu.

Code
Designer
Start Page
Other Windows…
Toolbars…
Full Screen
----------------------
From Other Windows (above)
I get.

Database Explorer
Error List
Properties Window
Solution Explorer
Toolbox
Web Brower
Find Results

From Toolbars (above)
I get.

Build
Data Design
Database Diagram
Debug
Layout
My Tools
Query Designer
Standard
Table Designer
Text Editor
View Designer
Web Browser
Customize…

“Tab Order” does not appear anywhere.

wsmith8

Sorry about that. I don't know if it's that way for all Express users or if it just happens sometimes but I guess Visual Studio doesn't always display that command when it should.

To fix it, you can customize your menus.

1. Open the Tools menu and select Customize.

2. Select the Commands tab.

3. Select the Menu Bar option and from the dropdown on the right select View.

4. Click the Add Command button. On the Add Command dialog:

4a. In the Categories list on the left, select View.

4b. Then in the Commands list on the right, select Tab Order

4c. Click OK. to add the command to the menu.

5. Close the Customize dialog.

It's so intuitively obvious, Microsoft must have thought that Express users could just add it themselves ;-)

Let me know if you have trouble with it.

__________________
Rod

Rod Stephens, Microsoft MVP

Essential Algorithms: A Practical Approach to Computer Algorithms

(Please post reviews at Amazon or wherever you shop!)

Thanks Rod,

Thank you for your patients with this 78 years old man. As I get more
comfortable with VC# 2010, problems may become more intuitive.

I have it working fine now thanks to you.

wsmith8

PS
I wrote a review for the book on Amazon.

Thank you for your patients with this 78 years old man. As I get more comfortable with VC# 2010, problems may become more intuitive.

This is Microsoft's fault, not yours. (And mine for not noticing the issue and covering the work around in the book or screencasts.) Now that I surf around the web a bit, I see that others have had this problem, too. It's silly that Microsoft wouldn't always have this command on the menu. What are they thinking, that Express users always put controls down in exactly the right order?

Anyway, I'm glad you got it working!

I wrote a review for the book on Amazon.

Thanks! I greatly appreciate it!

__________________
Rod

Rod Stephens, Microsoft MVP

Essential Algorithms: A Practical Approach to Computer Algorithms

(Please post reviews at Amazon or wherever you shop!)