[javascript] Calling Javascript from a html form

I am basing my question and example on Jason's answer in this question

I am trying to avoid using an eventListener, and just to call handleClick onsubmit, when the submit button is clicked.

Absolutely nothing happens with the code I have.

Why is handleClick not being called?

<html>
  <head>
    <script type="text/javascript">
      function getRadioButtonValue(rbutton)
      {
        for (var i = 0; i < rbutton.length; ++i)
        { 
          if (rbutton[i].checked)
            return rbutton[i].value;
        }
        return null;
      }

      function handleClick(event)
      {
        alert("Favorite weird creature: "+getRadioButtonValue(this["whichThing"]));
        event.preventDefault(); // disable normal form submit behavior
        return false; // prevent further bubbling of event
      }
    </script>
  </head>
<body>
    <form name="myform" onSubmit="JavaScript:handleClick()">
      <input name="Submit"  type="submit" value="Update" onClick="JavaScript:handleClick()"/>
      Which of the following do you like best?
      <p><input type="radio" name="whichThing" value="slithy toves" />Slithy toves</p>
      <p><input type="radio" name="whichThing" value="borogoves" />Borogoves</p>
      <p><input type="radio" name="whichThing" value="mome raths" />Mome raths</p>
    </form>
</body>
</html>

edit:

Please do not suggest a framework as a solution.

Here are the relevant changes I have made to the code, which results in the same behavior.

      function handleClick()
      {
        alert("Favorite weird creature: "+getRadioButtonValue(document.myform['whichThing'])));
        event.preventDefault(); // disable normal form submit behavior
        return false; // prevent further bubbling of event
      }
    </script>
  </head>
<body>
<form name="aye">;
      <input name="Submit"  type="submit" value="Update" action="JavaScript:handleClick()"/>
      Which of the following do you like best?
      <p><input type="radio" name="whichThing" value="slithy toves" />Slithy toves</p>
      <p><input type="radio" name="whichThing" value="borogoves" />Borogoves</p>
      <p><input type="radio" name="whichThing" value="mome raths" />Mome raths</p>
    </form>

This question is related to javascript html forms dom-events

The answer is


Everything seems to be perfect in your code except the fact that handleClick() isn't working because this function lacks a parameter in its function call invocation(but the function definition within has an argument which makes a function mismatch to occur).

The following is a sample working code for calculating all semester's total marks and corresponding grade. It demonstrates the use of a JavaScript function(call) within a html file and also solves the problem you are facing.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <title> Semester Results </title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1> Semester Marks </h1> <br> 
    <script type = "text/javascript">
        function checkMarks(total)
        {
            document.write("<h1> Final Result !!! </h1><br>");
            document.write("Total Marks = " + total + "<br><br>");
            var avg = total / 6.0;
            document.write("CGPA = " + (avg / 10.0).toFixed(2) + "<br><br>");
            if(avg >= 90)
                document.write("Grade = A");
            else if(avg >= 80)
                document.write("Grade = B");
            else if(avg >= 70)
                document.write("Grade = C");
            else if(avg >= 60)
                document.write("Grade = D");
            else if(avg >= 50)
                document.write("Grade = Pass");
            else
                document.write("Grade = Fail");
       }
    </script>
    <form name = "myform" action = "javascript:checkMarks(Number(s1.value) + Number(s2.value) + Number(s3.value) + Number(s4.value) + Number(s5.value) + Number(s6.value))"/>
        Semester 1:  <input type = "text" id = "s1"/> <br><br>
        Semester 2:  <input type = "text" id = "s2"/> <br><br>
        Semester 3:  <input type = "text" id = "s3"/> <br><br>
        Semester 4:  <input type = "text" id = "s4"/> <br><br>
        Semester 5:  <input type = "text" id = "s5"/> <br><br>
        Semester 6:  <input type = "text" id = "s6"/> <br><br><br>
        <input type = "submit" value = "Submit"/>
    </form>
</body>
</html>

There are a few things to change in your edited version:

  1. You've taken the suggestion of using document.myform['whichThing'] a bit too literally. Your form is named "aye", so the code to access the whichThing radio buttons should use that name: `document.aye['whichThing'].

  2. There's no such thing as an action attribute for the <input> tag. Use onclick instead: <input name="Submit" type="submit" value="Update" onclick="handleClick();return false"/>

  3. Obtaining and cancelling an Event object in a browser is a very involved process. It varies a lot by browser type and version. IE and Firefox handle these things very differently, so a simple event.preventDefault() won't work... in fact, the event variable probably won't even be defined because this is an onclick handler from a tag. This is why Stephen above is trying so hard to suggest a framework. I realize you want to know the mechanics, and I recommend google for that. In this case, as a simple workaround, use return false in the onclick tag as in number 2 above (or return false from the function as stephen suggested).

  4. Because of #3, get rid of everything not the alert statement in your handler.

The code should now look like:

function handleClick()
      {
        alert("Favorite weird creature: "+getRadioButtonValue(document.aye['whichThing']));
      }
    </script>
  </head>
<body>
    <form name="aye">
      <input name="Submit"  type="submit" value="Update" onclick="handleClick();return false"/>
      Which of the following do you like best?
      <p><input type="radio" name="whichThing" value="slithy toves" />Slithy toves</p>
      <p><input type="radio" name="whichThing" value="borogoves" />Borogoves</p>
      <p><input type="radio" name="whichThing" value="mome raths" />Mome raths</p>
    </form>

You can either use javascript url form with

<form action="javascript:handleClick()">

Or use onSubmit event handler

<form onSubmit="return handleClick()">

In the later form, if you return false from the handleClick it will prevent the normal submision procedure. Return true if you want the browser to follow normal submision procedure.

Your onSubmit event handler in the button also fails because of the Javascript: part

EDIT: I just tried this code and it works:

<html>
  <head>
    <script type="text/javascript">

      function handleIt() {
        alert("hello");
      }

    </script>
  </head>

<body>
    <form name="myform" action="javascript:handleIt()">
      <input name="Submit"  type="submit" value="Update"/>
    </form>
</body>
</html>

Remove javascript: from onclick=".., onsubmit=".. declarations

javascript: prefix is used only in href="" or similar attributes (not events related)


Pretty example by Miquel (#32) should be refilled:

<html>
 <head>
  <script type="text/javascript">
   function handleIt(txt) {   // txt == content of form input
    alert("Entered value: " + txt);
   }
  </script>
 </head>
 <body>
 <!-- javascript function in form action must have a parameter. This 
    parameter contains a value of named input -->
  <form name="myform" action="javascript:handleIt(lastname.value)">  
   <input type="text" name="lastname" id="lastname" maxlength="40"> 
   <input name="Submit"  type="submit" value="Update"/>
  </form>
 </body>
</html>

And the form should have:

<form name="myform" action="javascript:handleIt(lastname.value)"> 

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