Control Focus in ASP.Net 2.0 using AJAX, Master Pages, user controls...

Having a heck of a time with this... Any assistance would be appreciated. All I need to do is set focus to a textbox control that is inside an AJAX tab container (has 2 tabs) that is inside a user control that is inside the content page of a master page. I've tried everything from setting the default focus in the master page to calling .focus() on the textbox to custom javascript and cant get anything to work. Is there something I'm missing here? I'd like to somehow set the focus at the content page level if possible.

Thanks,Troy

I usually set the focus by custom javascript and not use any asp.net built-in feature for this.

I use this javascript function:

function setFocus( id )
{
var o = document.getElementById( id );
if(o != null && !o.disabled ) { o.focus(); }
}

And I have this just before closing the body tag, but can be other place:

<script type="text/javascript">

setFocus( "yourcontrolid" );

</script>

The real question is how to get the corrent id for your control?

You can do this for example:

setFocus( '<%= yourcontrol.ClientID %>' );

You can also hard-code the control id, you can find-out your correct control id by examining the source view of your html page (if the control is rendered during an async postback the page source view not reflect the changes, you need some debugging tool to see your real html source, firebug etc.)

Hadn't thought of inline script. I tried the above, but am still getting the following error: guessing it's an AJAX tab container thing:

"htmlfile: Can't move focus to the control because it is invisible, not enabled, or of a type that does not accept the focus."

Here's what I did: Exposed the textbox's clientID in a string property from the child control; Added setFocus(id) sccript to the master page's head tag;At the end of the content page's Page_Load event (server), added aRegisterStartupScript for setFocus passing in the clientID property.

When debugging the above error, my textbox (Input element) makes it into the setFocus() function, is enabled, etc, etc, ... ??

I'll continue to search on the above error. Thanks for the input stmarti...

Found a workaround. (seehttp://forums.asp.net/t/1184754.aspx?PageIndex=3) I ran across this before but am using it as a last resort... "Slowing down" the app doesnt seem like the correct solution but will have to do. I worked a delay routine into the setFocus() solution stmarti suggested. Did the same as above with the following changes in the master page (and calling delay using RegisterStartupScript in content's page_load instead of setFocus):

function delay(id){setTimeout("setFocus('"+id+"')",500);

}

function setFocus( id ) {

var o = document.getElementById( id );if(o !=null && !o.disabled ) { o.focus(); }

}

Anyone with a more elegant solution, please post. Thanks!

What about this (no delay required I think)?

<script type="text/javascript"
Sys.Application.add_load( function( )
{

var o = document.getElementById( yourid );

if(o !=null && !o.disabled ) { o.focus(); }

} );

</script>

You can try other events also (ASP.NET AJAX > Overview > ASP.NET AJAX Client Life-Cycle Events )

Looks like the above is what I'm looking for - wont get a chance to investigate for a bit. Thanks!