This work around will fix the issue found by @Cletus.
function submitForm(form) {
//get the form element's document to create the input control with
//(this way will work across windows in IE8)
var button = form.ownerDocument.createElement('input');
//make sure it can't be seen/disrupts layout (even momentarily)
button.style.display = 'none';
//make it such that it will invoke submit if clicked
button.type = 'submit';
//append it and click it
form.appendChild(button).click();
//if it was prevented, make sure we don't get a build up of buttons
form.removeChild(button);
}
Will work on all modern browsers.
Will work across tabs/spawned child windows (yes, even in IE<9).
And is in vanilla!
Just pass it a DOM reference to a form element and it'll make sure all the attached listeners, the onsubmit, and (if its not prevented by then) finally, submit the form.