241
votes

One way to stop form submission is to return false from your JavaScript function.

When the submit button is clicked, a validation function is called. I have a case in form validation. If that condition is met I call a function named returnToPreviousPage();

function returnToPreviousPage() {
    window.history.back();
}

I am using JavaScript and Dojo Toolkit.

Rather going back to the previous page, it submits the form. How can I abort this submission and return to the previous page?

12
R U Sure this function is calling?? try to put alert('test'); before window.historysamirprogrammer
yes I am sure; its being called.Muhammad Imran Tariq

12 Answers

342
votes

You can use the return value of the function to prevent the form submission

<form name="myForm" onsubmit="return validateMyForm();"> 

and function like

<script type="text/javascript">
function validateMyForm()
{
  if(check if your conditions are not satisfying)
  { 
    alert("validation failed false");
    returnToPreviousPage();
    return false;
  }

  alert("validations passed");
  return true;
}
</script>

In case of Chrome 27.0.1453.116 m if above code does not work, please set the event handler's parameter's returnValue field to false to get it to work.

Thanks Sam for sharing information.

EDIT :

Thanks to Vikram for his workaround for if validateMyForm() returns false:

 <form onsubmit="event.preventDefault(); validateMyForm();">

where validateMyForm() is a function that returns false if validation fails. The key point is to use the name event. We cannot use for e.g. e.preventDefault()

133
votes

Use prevent default

Dojo Toolkit

dojo.connect(form, "onsubmit", function(evt) {
    evt.preventDefault();
    window.history.back();
});

jQuery

$('#form').submit(function (evt) {
    evt.preventDefault();
    window.history.back();
});

Vanilla JavaScript

if (element.addEventListener) {
    element.addEventListener("submit", function(evt) {
        evt.preventDefault();
        window.history.back();
    }, true);
}
else {
    element.attachEvent('onsubmit', function(evt){
        evt.preventDefault();
        window.history.back();
    });
}
53
votes

The following works as of now (tested in Chrome and Firefox):

<form onsubmit="event.preventDefault(); validateMyForm();">

Where validateMyForm() is a function that returns false if validation fails. The key point is to use the name event. We cannot use for e.g. e.preventDefault().

18
votes

Just use a simple button instead of a submit button. And call a JavaScript function to handle form submit:

<input type="button" name="submit" value="submit" onclick="submit_form();"/>

Function within a script tag:

function submit_form() {
    if (conditions) {
        document.forms['myform'].submit();
    }
    else {
        returnToPreviousPage();
    }
}

You can also try window.history.forward(-1);

10
votes

Base on @Vikram Pudi answer, we can also do like this with pure Javascript

<form onsubmit="submitForm(event)">
    <input type="text">
    <input type="submit">
</form>

<script type="text/javascript">

    function submitForm(event){
        event.preventDefault();


    }
</script>
9
votes

Lots of hard ways to do an easy thing:

<form name="foo" onsubmit="return false">
6
votes

All your answers gave something to work with.

FINALLY, this worked for me: (if you dont choose at least one checkbox item, it warns and stays in the same page)

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
    <head>
    </head>
    <body>
        <form name="helloForm" action="HelloWorld" method="GET"  onsubmit="valthisform();">
            <br>
            <br><b> MY LIKES </b>
            <br>
            First Name: <input type="text" name="first_name" required>
            <br />
            Last Name: <input type="text" name="last_name"  required />
            <br>
            <input type="radio" name="modifyValues" value="uppercase" required="required">Convert to uppercase <br>
            <input type="radio" name="modifyValues" value="lowercase" required="required">Convert to lowercase <br>
            <input type="radio" name="modifyValues" value="asis"      required="required" checked="checked">Do not convert <br>
            <br>
            <input type="checkbox" name="c1" value="maths"     /> Maths
            <input type="checkbox" name="c1" value="physics"   /> Physics
            <input type="checkbox" name="c1" value="chemistry" /> Chemistry
            <br>

            <button onclick="submit">Submit</button>

            <!-- input type="submit" value="submit" / -->
            <script>
                <!---
                function valthisform() {
                    var checkboxs=document.getElementsByName("c1");
                    var okay=false;
                    for(var i=0,l=checkboxs.length;i<l;i++) {
                        if(checkboxs[i].checked) {
                            okay=true;
                            break;
                        }
                    }
                    if (!okay) { 
                        alert("Please check a checkbox");
                        event.preventDefault();
                    } else {
                    }
                }
                -->
            </script>
        </form>
    </body>
</html>
4
votes

I would recommend not using onsubmit and instead attaching an event in the script.

var submit = document.getElementById("submitButtonId");
if (submit.addEventListener) {
  submit.addEventListener("click", returnToPreviousPage);
} else {
  submit.attachEvent("onclick", returnToPreviousPage);
}

Then use preventDefault() (or returnValue = false for older browsers).

function returnToPreviousPage (e) {
  e = e || window.event;
  // validation code

  // if invalid
  if (e.preventDefault) {
    e.preventDefault();
  } else {
    e.returnValue = false;
  }
}
1
votes

Lets say you have a form similar to this

<form action="membersDeleteAllData.html" method="post">
    <button type="submit" id="btnLoad" onclick="confirmAction(event);">ERASE ALL DATA</button>
</form>

Here is the javascript for the confirmAction function

<script type="text/javascript">
    function confirmAction(e)
    {
        var confirmation = confirm("Are you sure about this ?") ;

        if (!confirmation)
        {
            e.preventDefault() ;
            returnToPreviousPage();
        }

        return confirmation ;
    }
</script>

This one works on Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer(edge), Safari, etc.

If that is not the case let me know

1
votes

Hemant and Vikram's answers didn't quite work for me outright in Chrome. The event.preventDefault(); script prevented the the page from submitting regardless of passing or failing the validation. Instead, I had to move the event.preventDefault(); into the if statement as follows:

    if(check if your conditions are not satisfying) 
    { 
    event.preventDefault();
    alert("validation failed false");
    returnToPreviousPage();
    return false;
    }
    alert("validations passed");
    return true;
    }

Thanks to Hemant and Vikram for putting me on the right track.

1
votes

E.g if you have submit button on form ,inorder to stop its propogation simply write event.preventDefault(); in the function which is called upon clicking submit button or enter button.

1
votes

Simply do it....

<form>
<!-- Your Input Elements -->
</form>

and here goes your JQuery

$(document).on('submit', 'form', function(e){
    e.preventDefault();
    //your code goes here
    //100% works
    return;
});