Alternative to Using the _CUROBJ Variable with Forms (129573)

MORE INFORMATION

The _CUROBJ system memory variable returns a value when a READ is active, and it is not used in the Visual FoxPro event model. However, the form object exposes methods and properties that provide information about the current control.

Retrieving or Setting the Access Order of an Object

By default, controls are accessed in the order they are created on a form. You can alter this default with the TABINDEX property. The TABINDEX property specifies the tab order of controls on a form or specifies the order of forms in a form set. It returns a numeric value. You can read or write it at both design and run time.

For example, to ensure that a command button called CMDBUTTON3 in a form called TEST is the third control accessed on a form, you can type:

   TEST.CmdButton3.Tabindex= 3
					

NOTE: setting the TABINDEX property will not move the focus to a control.

Referencing the Active Control on a Form

The ACTIVECONTROL property references the active control on a form. It returns a reference to the object that currently has the focus on a form. You can use the ACTIVECONTROL property to refer to and manipulate a control on a form or form page generically.

For example, to change the font of the active control to bold, you can type the following in the Refresh method of the form:

   IF TYPE('THISFORM.ActiveControl')="O"
      THISFORM.ActiveControl.FontBold= .F.
   ELSE
      =MESSAGEBOX('There is no Control active on this form')
   ENDIF
					

The ACTIVECONTROL property is read-only at run time. It cannot be used to set the focus to a specific control.

Setting the Focus on a Control in a Form

Use the SETFOCUS method to move the focus to a specific control in a form. The SETFOCUS method is a method of a control. It requires that you reference the object to which you want to move. You can use the SETFOCUS along with the CONTROLS collection of a form to access controls on a form generically.

For example, if you want to move the focus to the previous control on the form, you can type the following in the Click event handler of the control:

   IF TYPE('THISFORM.ActiveControl')="O"
      THISFORM.ActiveControl.FontBold= .F.
   ELSE
      =MESSAGEBOX('There is no Control active on this form')
   ENDIF
   ncontrol=This.Tabindex
   THISFORM.CONTROLS(ncontrol-1).SETFOCUS
					

This assumes that the CONTROLS array is in the same order as the TABINDEX and that the form does not contain a page frame. A page frame is a container for controls, so it uses its own controls array.