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Listboxes that update content

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From: Isabel Holdsworth
Date: Mar 1, 2019 7:49AM

Hi all,

I have a listbox that updates the main page content when the selected
option is changed.

It's easy using a mouse: the box expands on hover and the user can
click the option that corresponds to the content they want to see.

But how about keyboard users? I'd rather not use the old "Go" button
keyboard solution, as it's beginning to feel a little bit archaic IMO,
and it doesn't fit in with our design.

Are there any alternative mechanisms for enabling keyboard users to
scroll through a list of items without selecting them, and to select
an option only when they choose to?

One of the listboxes we currently use updates the page content on
blur, but I'm not convinced this is OK. Perhaps it would be more
acceptable if pressing ESC reverted back to the original selection?

I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this.

Cheers, Isabel