execScript focus problem (IE specific)

[Drelus]

I'm using an Ajax call to open a search box in the page and I want the focus to go to the box automatically.

So, in the httpObject.responseText, I tried sending the following in addition to the search box markup:

<script type="text/javascript">
document.getElementById('Message').focus();
</script>

and, after writing the response using innerHTML, the originating Ajax function calls an eval function to enable the JavaScript, the critical line being:

if(script) (window.execScript) ? window.execScript(script) : window.setTimeout(script, 0);

It works in Firefox and Safari because they default to the window.setTimeout method. The problem is (as usual) Internet Explorer...

1. The JavaScript executes just fine - the focus goes to the search box - if I open the code of the search box directly as a page. I tried other ways of setting the focus which worked similarly but also failed similarly when using window.execScript.

2. I've tried other things in place of focus() and they all worked. A simple alert works, writing text to the box works but the focus is never set.

3. I found that if I included an alert in the eval function, the focus WOULD be set after I clicked OK. But that's clearly defeating the purpose of saving the user a click.

I doesn't actually bother me that IE users would get an inferior experience but this is such a curious problem I really want to know the answer.

Are there any IE experts here that can tell me?

[Drelus]

I pressed on with my coding and I've just noticed that focus is now working in IE.

I've no idea what was wrong before.