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The term "Focus" (or sometimes called "Input Focus") means that a control is currently selected for user input. All keyboard input is performed in the control which has the focus. It is only possible that one control within a document can have the focus at a time.

A focused control gives a visual feedback, informing the user that it owns the focus. E.g. an Interactive Text contains a blinking caret and Checkboxes or Radiobuttons display a dotted rectangle inside.

The focus can be moved forward from one Control to the next by pressing the Tab key on the keyboard and it can be moved backwards from one Control to the previous by pressing Shift + Tab (also known as "Backtab").

In addition, the focus can be set explicitly by clicking with the mouse directly onto a Control.

VPE offers methods to inquire which Control currently owns the focus, as well as methods to explicitly set the focus by code onto a specifc Control.