What is required to make browsers send "submit"-input names to the server?

Question

I need to debug missing data in some from POSTed to the server and after reading lots of tutorials and following other examples about that aspect, I still can't find my problem. The use case is pretty simple in theory: Have one form with two submit buttons to trigger different implementation on the server side.

According to lots of tutorials and examples, the submit-buttons should send their name if they have a name-attribute, while values should not be sent at all. The naming thing seems to differ according server side programming languages, sometimes it's some_name and sometimes some_name[], but that doesn't make any difference for me currently.

My problem is that whatever HTML I create, inputs of type submit are never part of the POSTed data. OTOH, pretty much the same HTML as button works as expected: If the button is used to submit the form, its name and even value are part of the POSTed data. When other inputs are clicked to submit, no names of any submit-input are available in the data.

So, with the exact same form, reaching the exact same endpoint, using same browser etc., the following DOES NOT provide any hint to the clicked button in the POSTed data:

<input  type="submit"
        name="foobar input"
        value="foobar input"
        title="foobar input"
/>

While the following OTOH does:

<button type="submit"
        name="foobar button"
        value="foobar button"
        title="foobar button">
    foobar button
</button>

So, should the input work the same way like the button does in theory? Or is the HTML wrong and I'm not able to spot the error? Sending the form itself works in both cases, though. So the browser obviously knows about the submit-input and its purpose.

Or have something changed the last years in modern browsers and submit-inputs are not part of POSTed data at all anymore for some reason? I can't remember the need to have multiple submits on a form for years.

How does a minimal example using a submit-input sending its name look like and tested to work for you? And in which browser? I tested an up-to-date Chromium based Opera and IE 11 and neither did include submit names.

Thanks!

Answer 1

OPINION: I would personally NEVER use more than one word in the name of a submit button

FACT: If that word is "submit" or you have id="submit" then you will not be able to programmatically submit the form using .submit()

FACT if you have script that disables the form element, it will not be sent to the server

Conclusion

In my experience and according to documentation - If you have the following

<form> 
  ................... 
  <button type="submit" 
    name="whatever you want here but I would only use one name and NOT submit">Whatever</button>
</form> 

OR

<form> 
  ................... 
  <input type="submit" 
  name="whatever you want here but I would only use one name and NOT submit" value"Whatever">
</form> 

your server will receive the button as name=value in the POST array if method = post and in the GET if nothing or method=get AND in the REQUEST array in either case (assuming PHP)

TEST PAGE

<form method="post" action="testsubmit.php">

Did not work according to OP<br/>

But it actually DOES work if not disabled from elsewhere <br/>

<input  type="submit"
        name="foobar input"
        value="foobar input"
        title="foobar input"
/>

<hr/>

<input type="text" name="sentField"  value="This WILL be sent to the server" style="width:300px"/>

<hr/>

<input type="text" name="disField" disabled value="This will NOT be sent to the server" style="width:300px"/>

<hr/>

Does work

<button type="submit"
        name="foobar button"
        value="foobar button"
        title="foobar button">
    foobar button
</button>



</form>