Enable Arrow and Tab navigation in tksheet: use focus_set('table') and set_currently_selected()

Arrow/Tab not moving in tksheet after focus? Learn why focus_set('table') isn't enough and how set_currently_selected() activates keyboard navigation instantly.

When you wire up keyboard navigation for a tksheet grid, a common surprise is that simply calling focus on the widget doesn’t make Arrow or Tab keys start moving the selection. The focus may leave the previous input, but the sheet itself still won’t react. The fix turns out to be simple and explicit.

Reproducible snippet that doesn’t move the selection

def jump_to_grid(evt):
    grid.focus_set('table')
app_grid = tksheet.Sheet(app, height=200, width=1500, auto_resize_columns=30)
app.bind("<F7>", jump_to_grid)

Triggering the F7 hotkey shifts focus away from the default control, but Arrow and Tab keys don’t navigate cells in the tksheet.

What’s really happening

Focusing the sheet widget alone isn’t enough. The grid also needs to know which cell should be considered active for keyboard navigation. Without an explicitly selected cell, the sheet doesn’t start moving through rows and columns when you press Arrow or Tab.

The fix

Set focus to the table and immediately mark a specific cell as selected. That’s all it takes to enable keyboard movement.

def jump_to_grid(evt):
    grid.focus_set('table')
    grid.set_currently_selected(0, 0)
grid = tksheet.Sheet(app, height=200, width=1500, auto_resize_columns=30)
app.bind("<F7>", jump_to_grid)

This selects the first cell (upper right) and makes Arrow and Tab keys behave as expected.

Why this matters

From a user’s perspective, “focused but not navigable” feels broken. Making the active cell explicit removes ambiguity and ensures the sheet responds immediately to keyboard input. This is especially important when you introduce hotkeys to jump between widgets: users expect the target control to be fully interactive the moment it gets focus.

Takeaways

When enabling keyboard navigation in a tksheet, don’t stop at focus_set('table'). Always pair it with a call to set_currently_selected(row, col). Pick the coordinates that match where you want the user to start, then verify Arrow and Tab behave as intended. This small addition keeps the interaction predictable and smooth.