actionscript 3 - flash - getting keyboard focus without clicking -

in actionscript 3 program used code add event listener textfield:

var tf:textfield = new textfield(); tf.addeventlistener(keyboardevent.key_down, handletext); 

handletext() gets called if click on textfield. there way receive keyboard events when mouse hovering on textfield (no need click)?

a textfield has own keyboard event listener uses alter text, if mode input. , capture keyboard events while target not have focus, add listener stage, , check if mouse on text field in question. this, can set boolean flag in mouse_over , drop in mouse_out listener attached textfield. then, if flag on, can either parse keyboard event or transfer textfield via dispatchevent() call existing keyboardevent object.