Question

Prevent navigation away from form until submitted

Asked by: Milkybar-kid

I have a form that must be submitted so I want to prevent or warn against closing the window or navigating away from the page until the submit button has been pressed. Alternatively have the form auto-submit on navigation to a new window or close the window.

Is this possible? if so how?

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Asked On
2006-09-05 at 12:36:45ID21978845
Tags

away

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prevent

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navigate

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Topic

JavaScript

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Answers

 

by: ZvonkoPosted on 2006-09-05 at 12:44:00ID: 17458421

Check this:


<html>
<head>
<title>Zvonko &#42;</title>
<script>
var warn = true;
</script>
</head>
<body onBeforeUnload="if(warn) return 'Not submited form data.\nIf you press OK you loose your form data'">
<form onSubmit="warn=false;">
<input type="text" name="myField">
<input type="submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>

 

by: william007Posted on 2006-09-05 at 12:48:15ID: 17458459

You can do this, although it seems like more instrusive.
Alternative way is asking whether the user wants to exit.
<script>
function checkComplete()
{
    if (document.myform.myName.value == "")
    {
        alert("Please complete the form!")
        return false;
    }
    else
    {
        return true;
    }
}
</script>
<html>
<body onunload="checkform()">
<form name="myform" onsubmit="return checkComplete()">
My Name: <input type="text" name="myName" size="50"><br>
<input type="Submit" value="Send Form" name="Submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>

 

by: Milkybar-kidPosted on 2006-09-05 at 13:08:07ID: 17458614

Can it be done without modifying the Body Tag ?
The site is based on a template and the body tag is locked.

 

by: william007Posted on 2006-09-05 at 13:12:47ID: 17458642

Alternatively, you can do something like this:
<script>
function checkComplete()
{
    if (document.myform.myName.value == "")
    {
        alert("Please complete the form!")
        return false;
    }
    else
    {
        return true;
    }
}
onunload=checkform();
</script>
<html>
<body onunload="checkform()">
<form name="myform" onsubmit="return checkComplete()">
My Name: <input type="text" name="myName" size="50"><br>
<input type="Submit" value="Send Form" name="Submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>

 

by: william007Posted on 2006-09-05 at 13:14:38ID: 17458657

Sorry, modified to remove the onunload in body...

Alternatively, you can do something like this:
<script>
function checkComplete()
{
    if (document.myform.myName.value == "")
    {
        alert("Please complete the form!")
        return false;
    }
    else
    {
        return true;
    }
}
onunload=checkform();
</script>
<html>
<body>
<form name="myform" onsubmit="return checkComplete()">
My Name: <input type="text" name="myName" size="50"><br>
<input type="Submit" value="Send Form" name="Submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>

 

by: Milkybar-kidPosted on 2006-09-06 at 02:53:41ID: 17461755

Thanks for the replies.

I think that Zvonko is more along the right lines. I don't want to check if the form is completed I want it to be submitted or warn that is hasn't been submitted when navigating away from the page.

Can this be done without modifying the body tag ?

 

by: william007Posted on 2006-09-06 at 03:27:01ID: 17461894

Hi, similarly you can do this in Zvonko code:
<html>
<head>
<title>Zvonko &#42;</title>
<script>
var warn = true;
onBeforeUnload="if(warn) return 'Not submited form data.\nIf you press OK you loose your form data'"
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form onSubmit="warn=false;">
<input type="text" name="myField">
<input type="submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>

 

by: william007Posted on 2006-09-06 at 03:30:09ID: 17461912

..
onBeforeUnload="if(warn) return 'Not submited form data.\nIf you press OK you loose your form data'"; //add a semicolon here if you want it to be well formed
...

 

by: ZvonkoPosted on 2006-09-06 at 03:49:58ID: 17461982

Syntacticaly wrong.
The event handler property has to be all lowercase and the eventhandler itself cannot be a String.
Check this:

<html>
<head>
<title>Zvonko &#42;</title>
<script>
var warn = true;
window.onbeforeunload=function(){if(warn) return 'Not submited form data.\nIf you press OK you loose your form data'}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form onSubmit="warn=false;">
<input type="text" name="myField">
<input type="submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>


 

by: Milkybar-kidPosted on 2006-09-06 at 05:12:12ID: 17462418

Thanks Zvonko that works.
However ideally I do not want to allow them the option to click OK and navigate away from the page.
They MUST submit the data.
I want the warning to display that they have forgotten to click submit or for the OK button to submit the data automatically. Is this possible ?
This is for an Intranet so no problem about being too heavy handed.

 

by: ZvonkoPosted on 2006-09-07 at 01:56:59ID: 17469013

Check this:


<html>
<head>
<title>Zvonko &#42;</title>
<script>
var warn = true;
window.onbeforeunload=function(){if(warn) return 'Not submited form data.\nIf you press OK you loose your form data'}
window.onunload=function(){if(warn)document.forms[0].submit()}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form onSubmit="warn=false;">
<input type="text" name="myField">
<input type="submit">
</form>
</body>
</html>


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