I have contracted some developers who are developing a web application and they have chosen to develop it in a combination of PHP and javascript. They tell me that because of the framework they are using, the user interface can't be developed such that the user has the option of pressing the return key instead of clicking on buttons. The reason they give is that every web page that makes up the application's interface consists of only one HTML form, but multiple functional areas (i.e. a login area on the left with a LOGIN button and a search form on the right with SEARCH and RESET buttons) so that the application would not know which function to execute when the user presses a return key. Their chosen framework (which allows them to work with PHP like in .NET - but it isn't .NET that they are using) does not permit them to divide the two areas so there is one HTML form for each area. Hence, they say, that I will have to put up with the application being such that the return key is disabled. However, I can't help but get the feeling that there is a way whereby the event chosen (via suitable javascript) when the user presses return depends on where the cursor is, so if the user has just typed in login information and the cursor is either in the username or password fields, it emulates pressing the LOGIN key and if the cursor is in any of the other fields on the right hand side, it emulates a default action for that functionality i.e. the SEARCH funtion. Can anyone help? What additional information do you need in order that you can answer this one?
