I am trying to use link to submit a form using the following code: 

```
 function deleteItem(formId) {

           // submit the form

           $("#" + formId).submit(); 

       }

```

Basically I have a grid and it displays a number of items. Each row has a delete button which deletes the item. I then fire the following function to remove the item from the grid. 

```
 function onItemDeleted(name) {

           $("#" + name).remove();                       

       }

```

It works fine when I use a submit button but when I use action link the JavaScript from the controller action is returned as string and not executed. 

```
 public JavaScriptResult DeleteItem(string name)
        {
            var isAjaxRequest = Request.IsAjaxRequest(); 

            _stockService.Delete(name);
            var script = String.Format("onItemDeleted('{0}')", name);
            return JavaScript(script); 
        }

```

And here is the HTML code: 

```
 <td>

    <% using (Ajax.BeginForm("DeleteItem",null, new AjaxOptions() { LoadingElementId = "divLoading", UpdateTargetId = "divDisplay" },new { id="form_"+stock.Name }))
       { %>

    <%=Html.Hidden("name", stock.Name)%>
   <a id="link_delete" href="#" onclick="deleteItem('form_ABC')">Delete</a>

    <% } %>

    </td>

```

My theory is that submit button does alter the response while the action link simply returns whatever is returned from the controller's action. This means when using submit the JavaScript is added to the response and then executed while in case of action link it is simply returned as string. 

If that is the case how can someone use action links instead of submit buttons. 

UPDATE: 

Seems like I need to perform something extra to make the action link to work since it does not fire the onsubmit event. 

<http://www.devproconnections.com/article/aspnet22/posting-forms-the-ajax-way-in-asp-net-mvc.aspx>