# Want to switch from one text field to password field by pressing enter **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** perspective\ **Created:** [June 26, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/want-to-switch-from-one-text-field-to-password-field-by-pressing-enter/107858 "2025-06-26T17:33:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![owaisurrehman786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owaisurrehman786](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/owaisurrehman786)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 5:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/want-to-switch-from-one-text-field-to-password-field-by-pressing-enter/107858/1 "2025-06-26T17:33:24Z")
i am making a login form in which my root container is a flex container. - in root i have added two more flex containers - in first flex container i have the text field - in second flex container i have the password field - i want to do is that when i press enter key in text field - it will move to the password field - both the components are in the same view - but in different flex containers ---
**Author:** ![Transistor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/transistor/32/3380_2.png) [@Transistor](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Transistor)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 5:38pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/want-to-switch-from-one-text-field-to-password-field-by-pressing-enter/107858/2 "2025-06-26T17:38:42Z")
Tip: Standard GUI is that Enter triggers the default button - probably the Login or similar in your view. (And Esc triggers the Cancel button.) You should be aiming to move to next field with Tab. I think you're looking for `.focus()`. I haven't had to do it so I can't help further at this time. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Deardorff](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ryan_deardorff/32/63815_2.png) [@Ryan\_Deardorff](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Ryan_Deardorff)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 6:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/want-to-switch-from-one-text-field-to-password-field-by-pressing-enter/107858/3 "2025-06-26T18:16:17Z")
Use on `onKeyPress` event handler on the text field, and then `.focus()` on the password field: ```python { "custom": {}, "params": {}, "props": {}, "root": { "children": [ { "events": { "dom": { "onKeyPress": { "config": { "script": "\tif event.key \u003d\u003d \u0027Enter\u0027:\n\t\tsystem.perspective.sendMessage(\u0027focus-pwd\u0027)" }, "scope": "G", "type": "script" } } }, "meta": { "name": "TextField" }, "position": { "basis": "32px" }, "props": { "placeholder": "Hit ENTER to..." }, "type": "ia.input.text-field" }, { "meta": { "name": "PasswordField" }, "position": { "basis": "32px" }, "props": { "placeholder": "...focus this field" }, "scripts": { "customMethods": [], "extensionFunctions": null, "messageHandlers": [ { "messageType": "focus-pwd", "pageScope": true, "script": "\tself.focus()", "sessionScope": false, "viewScope": false } ] }, "type": "ia.input.password-field" } ], "meta": { "name": "root" }, "props": { "direction": "column", "style": { "gap": 8, "padding": 8 } }, "type": "ia.container.flex" } } ``` You can paste that example into a new view by holding down SHIFT while right-clicking and selecting "Paste JSON." It uses a message to notify the password field rather than navigating to the field via `getSibling()` as that kind of code breaks as soon as you start renaming/reorganizing components (and should be easier to plug in to whatever layout you already have). ---
**Author:** ![nminchin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nminchin/32/6911_2.png) [@nminchin](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nminchin)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 10:05pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/want-to-switch-from-one-text-field-to-password-field-by-pressing-enter/107858/4 "2025-06-26T22:05:28Z")
Just checking you're not trying to roll your own user login? ---
**Author:** ![owaisurrehman786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owaisurrehman786](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/owaisurrehman786)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2025, 8:37pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/want-to-switch-from-one-text-field-to-password-field-by-pressing-enter/107858/5 "2025-06-28T20:37:21Z")
Thanks that .focus() solved the issue but i did it in a different way. i just simply moved from that text field to the password field by writing in textField event action onKeyPressed script: if event.key == "Enter": self.parent.parent.getChild("FlexContainer\_0").getChild("passwordField").focus() my textField was in a flex container and the passwordField was in a different flex. both were in the same view. ---
**Author:** ![owaisurrehman786](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owaisurrehman786](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/owaisurrehman786)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2025, 8:38pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/want-to-switch-from-one-text-field-to-password-field-by-pressing-enter/107858/6 "2025-06-28T20:38:46Z")
i was making my own login but the problem has been solved ---
**Author:** ![Transistor](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/transistor/32/3380_2.png) [@Transistor](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Transistor)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2025, 11:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/want-to-switch-from-one-text-field-to-password-field-by-pressing-enter/107858/7 "2025-06-28T23:07:57Z")
> [@owaisurrehman786](#): > > `self.parent.parent.getChild("FlexContainer_0").getChild("passwordField").focus()` This sort of code breaks if you ever move components in and out of containers or rename them. Consider using `sendMessage()` instead and adding a message handler on the target field to set focus on itself. This is a practice worth adopting and whoever has to maintain your code will appreciate it. Also, please see [Wiki - how to post code on this forum](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/wiki-how-to-post-code-on-this-forum/77831). ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Deardorff](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/ryan_deardorff/32/63815_2.png) [@Ryan\_Deardorff](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Ryan_Deardorff)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 2:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/want-to-switch-from-one-text-field-to-password-field-by-pressing-enter/107858/8 "2025-06-30T14:10:50Z")
Seriously, what @Transistor said. It took me a while to get in the habit, but lately I'm soooo glad I did, as I've been able to revamp several different layouts without worrying about what I might have broke in the process. I now bind the value of every input to a custom view property, so I can reference that instead of the input itself. It not only safeguards it against layout changes, but makes for much cleaner, easier to understand code (I cringe every time I see a `.getChild()` or `.getSibling()`). Just a little extra effort in the short term can save you lots of hassle in the long run.