.NET MVC - Form submit causes postback instead of onSubmit javascript execution

Question

Hi,

i'm trying to submit my Ajax form using jQuery. However calling the submit() function causes the entire page to refresh. It should just execute the onSubmit part of the form (which returns false so that the page shouldn't refresh).

<%Ajax.BeginForm("AllocateAndUpdateMech", 
  New With {.Controller = "Planning", 
            .Id = Model.Id}, 
            New AjaxOptions With {
                       .LoadingElementId = "loading", 
                       .UpdateTargetId = Model.Id & "_alloc"}, 
            New With {.id = "allocate_" & Model.Id & "_" & item.UserId}
)%>
<%Html.Hidden("mechId", item.UserId)%>
<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="$('#<%="allocate_" & Model.Id & "_" & item.UserId %>').submit();">Allocate: <%=item.UserName%></a>
<%Html.EndForm()%>

Answer 1

When you call submit() on the form it does not call the onSubmit function that has been created by using that ajax form functionality. You will need to call the forms onSubmit directly

e.g $("#ViewCartPage form").onsubmit() or better just this.form.onsubmit()

Dont forget to include any parameters that that are needed by the Sys.Mvc.AsyncForm.handleSubmit event (not sure what they are as I don't use it).

I would really consider dropping the ms ajax js library and just sticking with jQuery. The ms js libs are full of badly written obtrusive muck that just make things over complicated for no reason. Things are much simpler using just jquery.

Answer 2

If you use the HTML Ajax.BeginForm you cant just commit the form, because the form is somehow hooked up with ASP.NET MVC Ajax.

There are 3 solutions:

Easiest and best way

Use jquery $.AJAX to commit the form

Easy but strange way

Put a submit button on the form. Set it to hidden and click it by jquery.

Difficult but the answer to your question

I have seen it someplace that you can still do exactly what you describe, but it was a workaround it didnt look nice.

Here is how its done submit form sample