Chinese IME composition cancelled by Tab key in Firefox
OS: Windows 11 · Device: Desktop or Laptop Any · Browser: Firefox 120.0
Open case →Scenario
Tab key during IME composition (focus vs indent vs IME)
Tab moves focus by default. During IME composition, Tab may cancel composition, cycle candidates, or be captured by the editor for indentation—behavior differs for Chinese, Thai, and Safari vs Firefox.
ime
Scenario ID
scenario-ime-composition-tab-key
Details
Tab moves focus by default. During IME composition, Tab may cancel composition, cycle candidates, or be captured by the editor for indentation—behavior differs for Chinese, Thai, and Safari vs Firefox.
Problem Overview
Rich editors often preventDefault on Tab for lists; during isComposing, that can cancel IME unexpectedly.
Observed Behavior
- Chinese IME on Firefox: Tab cancels composition (see cases).
- Thai IME on Safari: Tab may cancel or move focus.
Impact
Lost partial input; users blame the editor for “eating” Tab.
Solutions
- While
isComposing, avoid handling Tab for indentation unless you explicitly mirror platform IME conventions.
Related Cases
References
Scenario flow
Visual view of how this scenario connects to its concrete cases and environments. Nodes can be dragged and clicked.
Variants
Each row is a concrete case for this scenario, with a dedicated document and playground.
| Case | OS | Device | Browser | Keyboard | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ce-0189-chinese-ime-tab-cancels-firefox | Windows 11 | Desktop or Laptop Any | Firefox 120.0 | Chinese (IME - Pinyin) | draft |
| ce-0202-thai-ime-tab-cancels-safari | macOS 14.0 | Desktop or Laptop Any | Safari 17.0 | Thai (IME) | draft |
Browser compatibility
This matrix shows which browser and OS combinations have documented cases for this scenario. Click on a cell to view the specific case.
| Browser | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Firefox | — | |
| Safari | — |
Confirmed
Draft
— No case documented
Cases
This scenario affects multiple languages. Cases are grouped by language/input method below.
Chinese
1 caseThai
1 caseThai IME composition cancelled by Tab key in Safari
OS: macOS 14.0 · Device: Desktop or Laptop Any · Browser: Safari 17.0
Open case →Related Scenarios
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Tags: ime, composition, chinese, safari
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Comments & Discussion
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