Form Focus IE vs. Firefox

[bumpaw]

The following snip will demonstrate the situation:

[3]<form action="../go_foo.php" method="get" name="focus_pocus" target="_self">
<select name="size-bag" size="1">
<option value="a">1</option>
<option value="b">2</option>
<option selected value="c">5</option>
<option value="d">10</option>
<option value="e">20</option>
<option value="f">50</option>
<option value="g">75</option> </select></form>[/3]

Loading in IE6 and the latest Firefox shows two distinct differences. IE holds the focus after a selection is made so that scrolling elsewhere on the page changes the value, where in Firefox this is not the case. Users of an order form are picking a size and when attempting to scroll the page are changing their size pick and not realizing it.

Is there a way to force IE to be like Firefox in this feature?

[penders]

I think you are refering to using the scroll wheel on the mouse... yes, this changes the selection of a drop-down select-list (size="1") in IE6 when it has focus. FF does still keep focus on the select-list, but it doesn't seem to respond to the scroll wheel in the same way.

However, when the size > "1" (ie. not simply a drop-down list), then both FF and IE6 both respond to the scroll wheel - which is indeed useful.

Unfortunately, I think it's just an annoyance/feature of IE6 that the scroll wheel changes the value of a drop-down list when it has focus (some make like this 'feature'?!). You could try moving the focus elsewhere (using JavaScript) once a selection has been made, but this would effect usability/accessibility - the user would not be able to use the keyboard to step through the list.

I think it is something that IE users just have to get used to.