Tab index

The Tabindex tag is used to provide browsers and assistive technology with the proper sequence for tabbing through a document. Tabbing takes you from active element to active element (like links and form controls). It is particularly useful when a website does not linearlize naturally (for example when graphics with links are scattered throughout a page).

This site has tabindexing on virtually every page (even though it linearizes naturally). The code example is from this page, with C S S references and Title tags removed.

Code Example:

<td> 
<p><a href="Abbr.html" tabindex="12">A B B R</a></p>
<p><a href="Accesskey.html" tabindex="13">Accesskey</a></p>
<p><a href="Acronym.html" tabindex="14" >Acronym</a></p>
<p><a href="Alt.html" tabindex="15">Alt</a></p>
<p><a href="Caption.html" tabindex="16" >Caption</a></p>
<p><a href="FieldSet.html" tabindex="17" >Fieldset</a></p>
</td>

Browsers

Tabindexes are supported in Internet Explorer 4.0 and higher. They are not recognized by Netscape Navigator.

Adaptive Technology

Tabindexes are not supported by IBM Home Page Reader. Tabindex is supported by JAWS with the virtual PC cursor turned off (Insert + Z), and by Window-Eyes when MSAA mode is turned off (Control + Shift + A).