Don't submit form on Enter button

[Anthony Jones]

--
Anthony Jones - MVP ASP/ASP.NET

So does Enter, which is a boon for people entering a lot of numeric
data.

Like I said what the Enter key does varies depending on what Excel
intelligently interprets what you want it to do.

Open Calculater and perform this calculation without using the mouse:
4+5*9=
What key did you press instead of clicking the "=" button? I doubt it
was tab ;-)

No, why would I press the tab, there are no other fields to navigate to

Think of an accountant entering a list of numbers from a printout or a
bunch of receipts or invoices: she will use her left hand to keep track
of where she is, and her right hand to enter the values using the number
pad. Think of the loss of productivity if she had to use the Tab key
instead of the Enter key on the number pad.

Again the cacluator is not representive of the species. It doesn't even
give the one input control it has the focus.

Enter does what you would expect it to in a standard UI, completes the
operation, (even though the calc doesn't really conform otherwise) it isn't
being used for field navigation.

 

[Bob Barrows [MVP]]

Like I said what the Enter key does varies depending on what Excel
intelligently interprets what you want it to do.

So? How does that invalidate my assertion? The fact remains that I can
perform cell navigation in Excel using the Enter key.

No, why would I press the tab, there are no other fields to navigate
to

No, but most business application users are used to this model: type in the
data and press Enter to signal that the current piece of data is finished
and move to the next field. In fact, they are so used to this that they take
it on faith that this will happen, continuing to type in data without even
looking at the screen to confirm that the expected navigation has taken
place.

Again the cacluator is not representive of the species. It doesn't
even give the one input control it has the focus.

And I seem to have failed to clarify my shift from the Calculater example
back to an application UI presenting a series of fields or cells in which
data is to be entered, such as Excel.

Enter does what you would expect it to in a standard UI, completes the
operation, (even though the calc doesn't really conform otherwise) it
isn't being used for field navigation.

Again, in Excel, Enter can, and is, used for cell navigation (I really do
not understand your denial of this fact.). And again, most users of business
applications that I have encountered balk at losing the ability to perform
single-handed data entry using the Enter key to navigate from
field-to-field. They are not interested in conforming to design
"standards"', they are interested in performing their job in the most
efficient manner possible, and refuse to use applications that slow them
down.

 

[Anthony Jones]

So? How does that invalidate my assertion? The fact remains that I can
perform cell navigation in Excel using the Enter key.

It doesn't

No, but most business application users are used to this model: type in the
data and press Enter to signal that the current piece of data is finished
and move to the next field. In fact, they are so used to this that they take
it on faith that this will happen, continuing to type in data without even
looking at the screen to confirm that the expected navigation has taken
place.

I'm sorry but my exprience is different.

And I seem to have failed to clarify my shift from the Calculater example
back to an application UI presenting a series of fields or cells in which
data is to be entered, such as Excel.

Hold on you equate cells with fields. I don't accept that you can equate
the contigeous set of cells in a spreadsheet with a set of data entry fields
in a form.

Again, in Excel, Enter can, and is, used for cell navigation (I really do
not understand your denial of this fact.).

I didn't, in fact I've given you quite an explicit description of how the
enter key does actually work in Excel.

And again, most users of business
applications that I have encountered balk at losing the ability to perform
single-handed data entry using the Enter key to navigate from
field-to-field.

Ok I accept where single handed data entry is required (we're talking pure
numerical info here) then the abiility to use the numeric pads enter key to
move to the next field is sensible. Is that a general or a specific case?

They are not interested in conforming to design
"standards"', they are interested in performing their job in the most
efficient manner possible, and refuse to use applications that slow them
down.

I completely agree that we should give the users whatever is the most
sensible and natural UI we can.

 

[Bob Barrows [MVP]]

Hold on you equate cells with fields. I don't accept that you can
equate the contigeous set of cells in a spreadsheet with a set of
data entry fields in a form.

From a computer science pov, you are certainly correct. Users will usually
fail to appreciate the distinction. I made a brief attempt several years ago
but had to admit defeat.

Ok I accept where single handed data entry is required (we're talking
pure numerical info here) then the abiility to use the numeric pads
enter key to move to the next field is sensible. Is that a general
or a specific case?

In my experience, it's been the general case. Most of my applications
involve numeric entry and, if I forget to capture and redefine the Enter
keystroke, I hear about it. Of course, I don't forget anymore, because I've
got a js library file that I include in every form I create.

 

[Anthony Jones]

In my experience, it's been the general case. Most of my applications
involve numeric entry and, if I forget to capture and redefine the Enter
keystroke, I hear about it. Of course, I don't forget anymore, because I've
got a js library file that I include in every form I create.

Interesting. OTH I have had users go on at me because I failed to supply a
default action which is initiated by the enter button and that's not just in
Web apps. I guess it just goes to show that even with a long career you
can't generalise on your own experience. I'll try to remember that in
future.

 

[Evertjan.]

Anthony Jones wrote on 13 jul 2007 in
microsoft.public.inetserver.asp.general:

Interesting. OTH I have had users go on at me because I failed to
supply a default action which is initiated by the enter button and
that's not just in Web apps. I guess it just goes to show that even
with a long career you can't generalise on your own experience. I'll
try to remember that in future.

Using the <tab> for repeated numeric entry works terrible on a standard
keyboard with numberpad, as the <tab> is far away and even some times the
<caps loc> is hit, when using different makes of keyboards.

The numeric pad <enter> key is nice at hand, leaving the left hand free for
other duties like pointing at a paper source.

 

[Adrienne Boswell]

The old 3270 terminals
would again use tab to move between the fields and enter to submit the
page. It is this standard that Windows adopted and MS published in
design guidelines. It has become the industry accepted standard.

I know I am _that_ old.

I worked with 3270's and a DecWriter. [For those too young to know, a
decwriter was a highspeed printer with a large keyboard used for printing
checks and reports.] Our Decwriter's name was Penelope, and for some
reason, when a man sat down to do something, the machine would suddenly
start beeping and spitting out paper. Every time we called out Digital
to service it, of course, they sent a female tech and she would go away
because nothing was wrong. The machine was retired before we ever found
the cause.

 

[Anthony Jones]

The old 3270 terminals
would again use tab to move between the fields and enter to submit the
page. It is this standard that Windows adopted and MS published in
design guidelines. It has become the industry accepted standard.

I know I am _that_ old.

I worked with 3270's and a DecWriter. [For those too young to know, a
decwriter was a highspeed printer with a large keyboard used for printing
checks and reports.] Our Decwriter's name was Penelope, and for some
reason, when a man sat down to do something, the machine would suddenly
start beeping and spitting out paper. Every time we called out Digital
to service it, of course, they sent a female tech and she would go away
because nothing was wrong. The machine was retired before we ever found
the cause.

LOL!.

 

[Dave Anderson]

The old 3270 terminals would again use tab to move between the
fields and enter to submit the page. It is this standard that
Windows adopted and MS published in design guidelines. It has
become the industry accepted standard.

That's not credible. I have worked on several 3270 systems, none of which
used [Enter] to submit a page. In fact, I saw no consistency beyond the
tendency to use "one of the PF-keys" to submit.

It is fantasy to suggest [Enter] was the standard on 3270 systems.

 

[Anthony Jones]

The old 3270 terminals would again use tab to move between the
fields and enter to submit the page. It is this standard that
Windows adopted and MS published in design guidelines. It has
become the industry accepted standard.

That's not credible. I have worked on several 3270 systems, none of which
used [Enter] to submit a page. In fact, I saw no consistency beyond the
tendency to use "one of the PF-keys" to submit.

It is fantasy to suggest [Enter] was the standard on 3270 systems.

Mate, this party finished a couple of days ago; there's only the clearing up
of the paper plates and cups to do.

I think we've established already that what various applications actually
did down through history actually varied more than I had though.