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Re: Listboxes that update content

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From: Steve Green
Date: Mar 1, 2019 8:19AM

The list of options in native comboboxes can be opened by pressing Alt+DownArrow. You can then use the arrow keys to scroll through the options without selecting them. This has been standard behaviour for at least 20 years, if not forever.

However, in the 15 years we have been doing user testing I have almost never seen anyone do this, so I expect the level of awareness is pretty low even among people who use keyboard navigation all the time.

Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd


-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum < <EMAIL REMOVED> > On Behalf Of Isabel Holdsworth
Sent: 01 March 2019 14:50
To: WebAIM Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
Subject: [WebAIM] Listboxes that update content

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