# Why doesn't the cursor appear in the Reply box?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [August 25, 2001, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090 "2001-08-25T14:18:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/1 "2001-08-25T14:18:27Z")

</div>

When I visit other message boards & hit reply, the cursor appears in the box ready to reply. Not so here, here one has to pick up the mouse, point mouse at the reply box, click reply box. This is for Netscape 4.7

Are there any Netscape versions that put the cursor in the reply box automatically? This is the only board that has this issue that I use.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/2 "2001-08-25T16:32:21Z")

</div>

Déjà vu all over again.

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=45151](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=45151)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/3 "2001-08-25T22:59:35Z")

</div>

Yeah, but this time I’m asking for any of the new browsers that might support it…I don’t want to try them all.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/4 "2001-08-25T23:01:35Z")

</div>

Hmm… IE6 doesn’t do it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/5 "2001-08-26T01:12:27Z")

</div>

I don’t believe the browser has anything to do with it. I’ve noticed many sites that ask for input (usually when I go to log in) have the cursor put into the first input field, but many sites don’t. It’s a programming difference.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/6 "2001-08-26T01:23:33Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by JeffB \*  
> \*\*I don’t believe the browser has anything to do with it. I’ve noticed many sites that ask for input (usually when I go to log in) have the cursor put into the first input field, but many sites don’t. It’s a programming difference. \*\*

D’oh! That’s right. It’s a simple HTML \<form\> attribute that I can’t recall off the top of my head.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/7 "2001-08-26T01:41:55Z")

</div>

From the previous thread, Tuba said

> [@](#):
>
> When I start a post, the blinking cursor is always in the reply box, so I don’t quite understand what your problem is here.

**handy** , perhaps when they make you an admin. your problems will be solved.

Tuba, what is the post count up to now to become an admin?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/8 "2001-08-26T05:36:47Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Montfort \*  
> \*\*
> 
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by JeffB \*  
> > \*\*I don’t believe the browser has anything to do with it. I’ve noticed many sites that ask for input (usually when I go to log in) have the cursor put into the first input field, but many sites don’t. It’s a programming difference. \*\*
> 
> D’oh! That’s right. It’s a simple HTML \<form\> attribute that I can’t recall off the top of my head. \*\*

I would love to know what it is. I’d like to hack the UnaBoard so it does this automatically.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/9 "2001-08-26T05:49:28Z")

</div>

Jeez, making me do basic HTML on a Saturday night…

Hmm, and I can’t seem to find it in my reference guide. I know it’s in there somewhere.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/10 "2001-08-26T13:18:52Z")

</div>

There is (at least) one way to do this, although it’s far from perfect:  
Hold down the ‘Insert’ key \> tab through the links until you arrive at the boxes.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/11 "2001-08-26T14:54:57Z")

</div>

How about INPUT TABINDEX (within a FORM, that is)? I’m not sure how widely supported it is in Netscape browsers, mind.

[Referenced here](http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/interact/forms.html#adef-tabindex) and [here](http://www.idocs.com/tags/forms/_INPUT_TABINDEX.html).

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/12 "2001-08-26T18:33:15Z")

</div>

Javascrip, not HTMl.

\<body onload=“setStart()” //rest of body tag\>

Where the setStart function uses focus methods to focus on a particular element of a form.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\
**Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/13 "2001-08-26T22:39:06Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Crusoe \*  
> **How about INPUT TABINDEX (within a FORM, that is)? I’m not sure how widely supported it is in Netscape browsers, mind.**

That’s what I thought it was, but some quick testing last night showed that TABINDEX=“0” and TABINDEX=“1” didn’t work.

Javascript sounds more like it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fonz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Fonz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fonz)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-cursor-appear-in-the-reply-box/78090/14 "2001-10-22T02:55:15Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by handy \*  
> \*\*Can you Bump your posts? You know, you write a messsage of ‘bump’ & it sends your topic to the top? \*\*

I don’t see why not.