Ordering Control Groups

This option allows you to gather controls into groups and to change the order in which the tab keys and arrow keys move the selection cursor around the controls.

When you use group boxes to group controls, always create the group box before the controls that are to go inside it.

It is good practice to put group markers around all separate groups of controls, including putting a marker before the first control in the list.

The list box shows the order in which the selection cursor moves between the controls when the user presses the arrow and tab keys. (The coordinate position of a control when displayed in the dialog box does not affect the order.) Initially, the controls are listed in the order in which they were created.

There are three functions involved in grouping controls:

• Setting Group Markers
  
• Setting Tab Markers
  
• Moving Control Order

Setting Group Markers

To set up groups in a dialog that has various types of controls, follow these steps:

• Select Order Groups from the Arrange menu. The Groups - order dialog is displayed.

• Click on the first radio button in the list box.

• Click on the Group Marker push button. A group marker is now displayed between the Text control and the first radio button in the list.

• Scroll down the list and click on the first push button in the list. Click on the Group Marker push button. This has organized your controls into groups of text, radio buttons, check boxes, and push buttons.

Setting Tab Markers

After setting group markers, you will want to set tab-stops. The controls marked with an asterisk already have tab-stops.

To make the tab-stop at only the first control in each group, delete the tab-stops from the second and third radio button and check box, following these steps:

• Click on the second radio button in the list to mark it.

• Click on the Delete Tab push button.

• Repeat the above steps for the third radio button, and then perform the same operation for the second and third check box in the list. When this is complete, press Enter.

Moving Control Order

You can move controls in the list and then see during testing how the changes affect the movement of the cursor. To change the position of a control in the list, follow these steps:

• Click on the name of the control to select it.

• Position the pointer in the list where you want the name to appear. The pointer changes shape to a short horizontal line when it is over a place where you can insert the name.

• To insert the control name, click the mouse button.

After grouping controls, you might want to test or edit the dialog, or enter additional controls.