onfocus (HTML attribute)
Example
The input below uses
the onfocus attribute to trigger a piece of
JavaScript that does some magic with the content found in the
title attribute when the user tabs to that
particular form input or places the mouse cursor inside the text field.
<input type="text" title="Date format = DD/MM/YYYY" onfocus="revealTitleHelp();" name="dateofbirth" />
Description
The
onfocus attribute will captures the moment when an
element receives ‘focus of attention’. This can be when a user clicks
inside of an element that can be activated or manipulated, for example a
form input element or
select element, both
of which are used for data entry, or an a element which can be
activated with the Return key.
Typically, this attribute is used to
highlight the current section of the page that has focus (a useful
usability enhancement, particularly for people with low vision) or to
provide additional information (for example, when completing a form,
additional help text may appear alongside the form
input that currently has focus).
Value
There is no fixed value - it is up to
the author/developer what scripting goes in here, be that a call to one or
more defined functions or a simple alert() statement.
Compatibility
| IE | 5.5 | Full |
|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | Full | |
| 7.0 | Full | |
| Firefox | 1.0 | Full |
| 1.5 | Full | |
| 2.0 | Full | |
| Safari | 1.3 | Full |
| 2.0 | Full | |
| 3.0 | Full | |
| Opera | 9.2 | Full |
| 9.5 | Full |
Every browser listed supports this attribute, but should be avoided as it encourages mixing of content and behaviour.
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