Power Platform Community Forum Thread Details

Hi,

I have used modern ComboBox@0.0.51 and when I search for an item, and tab out, it selects that item and then moves to the next control in the tab order. However, I tried Modern Combobox version 1.0.0 and it seems to behave differently. When I search for an item, and then tab out, the control seems to lose focus (ie: nothing is selected anywhere), and then if I tab again it seems to skip the next control entirely.

Is there any way to set the 1.0.0 combobox to behave like the 0.0.51 version in that searching and tabbing out then just goes to the next control in the tab order?

I was able to figure out that if I hit "enter" after searching, then tab, it works, but it's not intuitive to hit enter if there is only 1 item in the list and I don't have multi-select enabled.

For clarity, the comboboxes are set not to allow multi select, and they are set to allow searching which is why we are using comboboxes (not using dropdowns because I need them to be blank and not have a default).

Thanks for any help!

Cheers

Hi @JF-24030234-0,

The shift from v0.x to v1.0.x involved a significant refactoring of how the control handles "Selection on Blur" (when the control loses focus).

Why this change occurred
In v0.0.51, the control followed a "Predictive Select" logic. If the user typed enough to filter down to a single result, the Tab key acted as a confirmation and a navigation key simultaneously.

In v1.0.0, Microsoft aligned the control more strictly with WAI-ARIA (Web Accessibility Initiative) standards. Under these standards:

Tab is strictly for navigation (moving focus).

Enter/Space is for selection (committing an action).

While this is technically "correct" for screen readers and strict accessibility compliance, it creates a "friction point" for power users accustomed to rapid data entry.

The "v1.0.0" Navigation Breakdown

Action	v0.0.51 Behavior	v1.0.0 Behavior
Type to filter	Filters list	Filters list
Press Tab	Selects & Moves	Closes list & Moves (Selection is lost)
Press Enter	Selects item	Selects item (Focus stays)

Workarounds for the "Extra Tab" Issue
If you are building an app where data entry speed is critical (like a catalog or an inventory form), this change can be frustrating. Here is how to mitigate it:

Use the "OnSelect" Property: Ensure any logic tied to the selection is robust, but note that OnSelect won't trigger if the user just tabs away without hitting Enter.

Toggle "Allow searching": If the list is short, disabling searching sometimes restores a more predictable tab-through behavior, though it removes the filtering capability.

Check the "Validation" Logic: Since the control now requires an explicit "Enter" to commit, you may need to add visual cues (like a red border) if a user tabs past a required Combo Box without making a selection.

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