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Tabbing Order for Radio Buttons

doughboy
Registered: Jan 15 2009
Posts: 18

How do I set the tab order for Radio Buttons?

Here is my issue -

I have a pdf with several questions, these questions have answers that are radio buttons. You can only select one answer per question so I have the name of the radio button the same for per question. Meaning if I have 4 answers for that question, each answer has the same "name".

I set the tab order like I normally do for text fields or check boxes and the tab order shows properly but when I actually tab through it usually touches the first radio button and then jumps to the next question and touches the first choice again and then jumps to the next question.

There is one question where it properly tabs through the answers but I have no idea why that one works and the rest do not.

My Product Information:
Acrobat Pro 7.0, Windows
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
Is the Tab Order for your Page Properties set to "Unspecified"?

Lori Kassuba is an AUC Expert and Community Manager for AcrobatUsers.com.

doughboy
Registered: Jan 15 2009
Posts: 18
lkassuba wrote:
Is the Tab Order for your Page Properties set to "Unspecified"?
Yes it is.
doughboy
Registered: Jan 15 2009
Posts: 18
lkassuba wrote:
Is the Tab Order for your Page Properties set to "Unspecified"?
I just wanted to respond again in case you missed it. The properties are set to unspecified, should it be something else?


Thanks
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
Do you intend for the radio buttons to be mutually exclusive? If so, do you have different export values set.

Lori Kassuba is an AUC Expert and Community Manager for AcrobatUsers.com.

doughboy
Registered: Jan 15 2009
Posts: 18
lkassuba wrote:
Do you intend for the radio buttons to be mutually exclusive? If so, do you have different export value set.
For each question, yes, each question can only have one answer. The export values of each radio button are the same, they all say 'Yes'.

Also, I just want to be clear, users of this form will only print this pdf, nothing is being submitted.

Also I noticed something else that might help -

The only question where you can tab through each answer with the question is the last question on the page, all the others will tab to the first answer only.

Thanks
Derek
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
Try creating different export values for each question so that they're mutually exclusive and see if this corrects the tab issue.

Lori Kassuba is an AUC Expert and Community Manager for AcrobatUsers.com.

doughboy
Registered: Jan 15 2009
Posts: 18
lkassuba wrote:
Try creating different export values for each question so that they're mutually exclusive and see if this corrects the tab issue.
Same problem. Is there a way I can send you the PDF to see what I am working with?
lkassuba
ExpertTeam
Registered: Jun 28 2007
Posts: 3636
Unfortunately all of the Radio Buttons in a group (with the same name) are considered a single control, so you cannot tab between them. You could use the arrow key or if you really need to tab you can give them different names -- depending on how you plan to use your data.

Lori Kassuba is an AUC Expert and Community Manager for AcrobatUsers.com.

juliel
Registered: Dec 30 2009
Posts: 15
I am having the same problem, but need my radio buttons to have the same name in order for the user to toggle between them?

Please let me know if anyone has figured out how to fix this issue?

Thanks.
cwparks
Registered: Apr 2 2009
Posts: 36
It's my understanding that that's how radio buttons work -- you tab *into* the group, then use the arrow keys to move *between* the buttons in the group.

I might be missing something here, but I just opened Excel's Sort dialog, and that's what happens -- you tab to each Ascending/Descending pair, but if you want to choose a different button within that pair, you use the arrow key to move to that button.