The form Submit method and event
Anybody with any programming experience starting to use JavaScript would expect that when they call a form's submit() method the corresponding onSubmit() event would be triggered. This is not the case.
For example, say that a document has the following function in its JS Header:
function FormSubmit( formObjecct ){
if ( formObject.Country.value=="") {
alert('You need to the Country field in');
formObject.Country.focus();
return false
} else {
return true
}
}
and the document has a form whose tag is:
<form name="_prj" onSubmit="FormSubmit( this )" method="post" action="....
This is all well and good as long as you use a "standard" submit button on the form:
<input type="submit" name="Submit" value="Submit This Form">
But if you needed to call this Submit method explicitly, from a function, button, anchor link etc then calling this method does not call the onSubmit() event:
<a href="JavaScript: document._prj.submit();">Submit Form</a>
In order to validate the form first the code would need to be:
if ( document._prj.onsubmit() ) document._prj.submit();
Hence:
<a href="JavaScript: if (document._prj.onsubmit()) document._prj.submit();">Submit Form</a>
Note: In R4.6 if you have a button that uses the following formula:
@Command([FileSave]); @Command([FileCloseWindow])
The resulting JavaScript calls the Submit method whilst ignoring the onSubmit event.
In R5 this has been rectified and the same button produces script that accounts for the onSubmit.
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no onSubmit
and if I don't always have the onSubmit() ??
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This is unlogical !!
I had the problem with the submit method, and i find this so unlogical that it takes me time to think it could be that ! But all you write is totaly write, thanks !
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i simply do this
I simply do this to submit the form and invoke the onSubmit event by Javascript:
function submitFormWithOnSubmitEventFired(f) { if (f.onsubmit()) { f.submit(); } }
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Doesn't work with dynamically added events
Correct me if I'm wrong, but calling form.onsubmit() works great only IF you've actually got an onsubmit event specified in the form tag as <form onsubmit="somefunction()">. But if you add events programmatically, e.g. addEventListener, this seems to fail.
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Thanks!
This was really confusing me and I finally found your post via Google and finally the problem is solved... thank you.
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