two javascript forms on one page - php

Question

I cant get the two forms to play with each other.. - meaning I have one form that sends an email - and another that is using a search function. The email form is working ok. Validates just fine, but when I click on the search button, it doesn't do anything. ( the search form is working fine if I remove the email form )
What am I missing ??.. ugh..
I've been working on this, but my brain is fried. I am sure it is something simple.
Any help from you guys would be much appreciated.
<form method="post" action="contact.php" name="contactform" id="contactform">
<div class="full-lenght">
<div class="to-left">Name<br>
<span class="small-required">Required</span> </div>
<div class="to-right">
<input name="name" type="text" id="name" value="" class="contact-field" />
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div class="full-lenght">
<div class="to-left">Email<br>
<span class="small-required">Required</span> </div>
<div class="to-right">
<input name="email" type="text" id="email" value="" class="contact-field" />
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div class="full-lenght">
<div class="to-left">Phone<br>
<span class="small-required">Required</span> </div>
<div class="to-right">
<input name="phone" type="text" id="phone" value="" class="contact-field" />
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div class="full-lenght">
<div class="to-left">Message<br>
<span class="small-required">Required</span> </div>
<div class="to-right">
<textarea name="comments" rows="3" id="comments" class="contact-message"></textarea>
</div>
</div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div class="clear"></div>
<div class="human">3 + 1 = ?<br>
<input name="verify" type="text" id="verify" size="4" value="" style="width: 30px;" />
<input name="e" type="submit" class="contact-button" id="submit" value="Submit" />
</div>
</form>
<div class="search">
<form class="form" action="search_results.php" method="get">
<input name="q" type="text" class="search_field" value="Search.." onfocus="if (this.value=='Search..') this.value='';">
<a onclick=" document.forms[0].submit();return false" href="#"><img class="search_button" title="Search Button" src="images/search_button.jpg" alt="" width="24" height="24"></a> <br>
<br>
</form>
</div>
This is the code. The second form starts in search div. The first one is an email form with ajax validation.

Answer 1

try this,
in the second form
<form class="form" id="searchform" action="search_results.php" method="get">
<input name="q" type="text" class="search_field" value="Search.." onfocus="if (this.value=='Search..') this.value='';" />
<a onclick=" document.getElementById('searchform').submit();return false" href="#"><img class="search_button" title="Search Button" src="images/search_button.jpg" alt="" width="24" height="24"/></a> <br/>
<br/>
</form>

Answer 2

This doesn't have anything to do with PHP, but does have everything to do with JavaScript.
Change:
<a onclick=" document.forms[0].submit();return false" href="#">
to:
<a onclick="document.forms[1].submit();" href="#">
You're using legacy DOM notation in your JavaScript, which is OK but outdated. When you have forms[0] you're referring to the first form in the DOM which isn't the search form (the contact form is), forms[1] is the search form. Clicking the icon will fail without the change, but you could type in the box and hit enter and it will work, since the JavaScript you have won't be triggered (no click). I also see no need to keep the return false statement in there.

Answer 3

<form class="form" action="search_results.php" method="get">
<input name="q" type="text" class="search_field" value="Search.." onfocus="if (this.value=='Search..') this.value='';">
<input type="submit" value='Search'> <br>
<br>
This problem you used anchor tag as button form and it doesn't work for submitting form so you can either replace anchor tag with input tag "submit type" as you see in code or you can use JavaScript to make anchor tag when you click on it, it fires a submitting form.
Enjoy :)