Set focus on input form

can u post your form?

Is the selection of add or edit client side?

CJ

Here is the portion of my form that I am talking about.

<cfif can_edit>
   <table width="100%"  border="1" bordercolor="##669955" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
   <tr>
     <td>&nbsp;</td>
       <td valign="top">
         <table>
         <tr><td><strong>Address:</strong></td></tr>
         <tr><td><input type="text" value="#address#" name="address" style="width:280px"></td></tr>
         <tr><td><input type="text" value="#address2#" name="address2" style="width:280px"></td></tr>
         <tr><td><input type="text" value="#city#" name="city" style="width:150px">, <input type="text" value="#state#" name="state" style="width:30px"> <input type="text" value="#zip#" name="zip" style="width:45px">-<input type="text" value="#zip2#" name="zip2" style="width:45px"></td></tr>
         </table>
       </td>
       <td valign="top">
         <table>
         <tr><td width="125"><strong>Telephone:</strong></td></tr>
         <tr><td>
           <table><tr>
               <td><input type="text" value="#areacode#" name="areacode" style="width:30px" size="3" maxlength="3"
               onClick="this.value='';" onKeyUp="if(this.value.length==3) this.form.prefix.focus()" onFocus="this.value='';"></td>
               <td><input type="text" value="#prefix#" name="prefix" style="width:30px" size="3" maxlength="3"
               onClick="this.value='';" onKeyUp="if(this.value.length==3) this.form.number.focus()" onFocus="this.value='';"></td>
               <td><input type="text" value="#number#" name="number" style="width:50px" size="4" maxlength="4"
               onClick="this.value='';" onFocus="this.value='';"></td>
             </tr></table>
         </td></tr>
         </table>
       </td>
       <td valign="top">
         <table>
         <tr><td width="125"><strong>Fax:</strong></td></tr>
         <tr><td>
           <table><tr>
               <td><input type="text" value="#faxareacode#" name="faxareacode" style="width:30px" size="3" maxlength="3"
               onClick="this.value='';" onKeyUp="if(this.value.length==3) this.form.faxprefix.focus()" onFocus="this.value='';"></td>
               <td><input type="text" value="#faxprefix#" name="faxprefix" style="width:30px" size="3" maxlength="3"
               onClick="this.value='';" onKeyUp="if(this.value.length==3) this.form.faxnumber.focus()" onFocus="this.value='';"></td>
               <td><input type="text" value="#faxnumber#" name="faxnumber" style="width:50px" size="4" maxlength="4"
               onClick="this.value='';" onFocus="this.value='';"></td>
             </tr></table>
         </td></tr>
         </table>
       </td>
       <td valign="top">
         <table>
         <tr><td><strong>Support Systems:</strong></td></tr>
         <tr><td>Compease:  <select name="compease" style="width:50px">
                      <option value="yes" <cfif #compease# eq 'yes'>selected</cfif>>Yes</option>
                      <option value="no" <cfif #compease# eq 'no'>selected</cfif>>No</option>
                              </select></td></tr>
         <tr><td>Performease:  <select name="performease" style="width:50px">
                      <option value="yes" <cfif #compease# eq 'yes'>selected</cfif>>Yes</option>
                      <option value="no" <cfif #compease# eq 'no'>selected</cfif>>No</option>
                              </select></td></tr>
         </table>
       </td>
       </tr>
   </table>
<cfelse>
   <table width="100%"  border="1" bordercolor="##669955" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
   <tr>
     <td>&nbsp;</td>
       <td valign="top">
         <table>
         <tr><td><strong>Address:</strong></td></tr>
         <tr><td>#address#</td></tr>
         <tr><td>#address2#</td></tr>
         <tr><td>#city#<cfif #city# neq "">, #state# #zip#<cfif #zip2# neq "">-#zip2#<cfelse></cfif><cfelse></cfif></td></tr>
         </table>
       </td>
       <td valign="top">
         <table>
         <tr><td width="125"><strong>Telephone:</strong></td></tr>
         <tr><td>#areacode#-#prefix#-#number#</td></tr>
         </table>
       </td>
       <td valign="top">
         <table>
         <tr><td width="125"><strong>Fax:</strong></td></tr>
         <tr><td>#faxareacode#-#faxprefix#-#faxnumber#</td></tr>
         </table>
       </td>
       <td valign="top">
         <table>
         <tr><td><strong>Support Systems:</strong></td></tr>
         <tr><td>Compease:  #compease#</td></tr>
         <tr><td>Performease:  #performease#</td></tr>
         </table>
       </td>
       </tr>
   </table>
   </cfif>

which field get the focus in each instance?

if it is the first form field in each case

<bocy onload="document.forms[0].element[0].focus();">

just out of curiosity, why use two forms?

i code one form for both add and edit with a flag set as a hidden field in the form so that in a the action page i either insert (add new record) or update (edit existing record)

I have not had any prior programming experience and have been working with coldfusion for about 6 months.  I am trying to put together a web site and I do so much by trial and error.  The reason I use the two forms is because that is how I got it to do what I wanted.  If there is a better way please share.  do I need to change what you provided to be

<body onload="documnet.accountform[0].element[0].focus();">

I replaced forms with accountform(the name of my form), do I need to replace element with anything?

I did try this and it seems to work. it is a variation of what you posted earlier.

<cfif can_edit>
<script language="JavaScript">
 document.accountform.address.focus();
</script>
<cfelseif can_editcontact>
<script language="JavaScript">
 document.accountform.firstname.focus();
</script>
<cfelseif can_addcontact>
<script language="JavaScript">
 document.accountform.firstname.focus();
</script>
</cfif>

typo

<body onload="documnet.accountform[0].elements[0].focus();">

should have been elements, but the above will only set the focust on the first form element


>>I have not had any prior programming experience and have been working with coldfusion for about 6 months

been there ... and still learning

>>I do so much by trial and error

been there too... wish i had forund EE from the begining, would have made things so  much easier

i did this in asp and it woked fine, should be transferable to CF

pseudocode - for a members page


run query
select*
from memebers
if url.memberid
where id= url.memberid
else
where id= null // if memeber.id is pk then no member will have a a null id

create form
if query has a record set edit=true else edit =false
output query to populate form fields
let user add/ edit as required, validate as necessary
submit form

on action page

if edit
update query
else
insert query

process as required

<script language="javascript">
<cfif editing>
document.getElementById('fieldname1').focus();
<cfelse>
document.getElementById('fieldname2').focus();
</cfif>
</script>