CODEWITHSUNDEEP
javascript
scim
scim

Reputation: 55

How do I get the fireEvent method to work in IE8?

I'm trying to submit a form using IEs fireEvent method. Here's some simple test code:

<html>
<head>
  <script type="text/javascript">
    function fireSubmit () {
  if (document.createEventObject) {
        var event = document.createEventObject ();
    var fired = document.forms['fireForm'].fireEvent("onsubmit", event);
    alert("event fired: " + fired + "; event returnValue: " + event.returnValue);
      }
    }
  </script>
</head>
<body>
  <button onmouseover="fireSubmit();">
      Hover to submit
  </button>

  <form name="fireForm" action="action.html" method="post">
<input type="submit" name="submit" value="submit">
  </form>

</body>
</html>

And here's the simple action.html that should get submitted:

<html>
<body>
<script>alert('submitted');</script>
</body>
</html>

If I hover over the button, the event does get created and IE claims it was fired. An alert pops up that says "event fired: true; event returnValue: undefined", but the action.html alert is never shown and the returnValue is never set contrary to what this claims. However, if I just click on the submit button, the form is actually submitted and the "submitted" dialog shows.

What am I doing wrong? Am I misusing IE in some heinous way?

edit: Basically I'm trying to use the event model to catch problems down the line. The following code using dispatchEvent works fine in non-IE browsers for the same purpose:

    if (document.createEvent) {
        var event = document.createEvent("HTMLEvents");
        event.initEvent("submit", false, false);
        var returnValue = document.forms['fireForm'].dispatchEvent(event);          

        alert("event returnValue: " + returnValue);

    }

Upvotes: 2

Views: 3331

Answers (1)

Trevor Dixon
Trevor Dixon

Reputation: 24352

From http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/tutorials/javascript/domevents

Note that manually firing an event does not generate the default action associated with that event. For example, manually firing a focus event does not cause the element to receive focus (you must use its focus method for that), manually firing a submit event does not submit a form (use the submit method), manually firing a key event does not cause that letter to appear in a focused text input, and manually firing a click event on a link does not cause the link to be activated, etc.

The fireEvent method won't submit your form; it will trigger any event handlers attached to that event. The form's submit method will submit the form.

Is this what you want to do?

function fireSubmit () {
    var fired = document.forms['fireForm'].submit();
    alert("event fired: " + fired + "; event returnValue: " + event.returnValue);
}

Upvotes: 2

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