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How can I use the same fields for two different forms?

I'm trying to combine the login and register forms on a WooCommerce/WordPress site. The idea is that a single set of fields, username and password, could be submitted by two different forms. The first way I thought of is (simplified for clarity):
<form id="login">
<input id="username">
<input id="password">
<button type="submit">LOG IN</button>
</form>
<form id="register">
<div style="visibility:hidden!important;position:fixed!important;">
<input id="register_username">
<input id="register_password">
</div>
<button type="submit">REGISTER</button>
</form>
Basically, the layout hides the second pair of inputs but shows both buttons. Then, there's some JS that mirrors the values of corresponding fields:
var u = $('#username');
var p = $('#password');
var ru = $('#register_username');
var rp = $('#register_password')
$('#login').on('change blur focus click keyup',function(){
ru.val(u.val());
rp.val(p.val());
});
This seems to trigger a warning that an "invalid field is not focusable" - which I understand - but, can this be solved and done well? Is there a way to do this without JavaScript? Is there a better way altogether?
Let's assume I will show the hidden stuff in the case that there is no JS on the user's browser. Let's also assume I was given this design and asked to implement it, i.e. this is not a question about UX.

Just merge 2 forms into one and set 2 buttons
<form id="login">
<input id="username">
<input id="password">
<button name="submit" type="submit" value="login">LOG IN</button>
<button name="submit" type="submit" value="registration">REGISTER</button>
</form>
After submitting your form you need to check submit value like
if($_POST['submit'] == 'login')
then do code for login
else if($_POST['submit'] == 'registration')
then do code for registration

To reveal the hidden fields in the case of no javascript you would put the data between the following tags:
As far as the fields that are active when there is JavaScript, place that data within the JavaScript itself using document.write("fields here");.
The end result will be that these fields appear when JavaScript is enabled, and do not appear when JavaScript is disabled.
Hope this helps.

Passing variables through multiple forms to PHP [duplicate]

Is it valid html to have the following:
<form action="a">
<input.../>
<form action="b">
<input.../>
<input.../>
<input.../>
</form>
<input.../>
</form>
So when you submit "b" you only get the fields within the inner form. When you submit "a" you get all fields minus those within "b".
If it isn't possible, what workarounds for this situation are available?

A. It is not valid HTML nor XHTML
In the official W3C XHTML specification, Section B. "Element Prohibitions", states that:
"form must not contain other form elements."
http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/#prohibitions
As for the older HTML 3.2 spec,
the section on the FORMS element states that:
"Every form must be enclosed within a
FORM element. There can be several
forms in a single document, but the
FORM element can't be nested."
B. The Workaround
There are workarounds using JavaScript without needing to nest form tags.
"How to create a nested form." (despite title this is not nested form tags, but a JavaScript workaround).
Answers to this StackOverflow question
Note: Although one can trick the W3C Validators to pass a page by manipulating the DOM via scripting, it's still not legal HTML. The problem with using such approaches is that the behavior of your code is now not guaranteed across browsers. (since it's not standard)

In case someone find this post here is a great solution without the need of JS. Use two submit buttons with different name attributes check in your server language which submit button was pressed cause only one of them will be sent to the server.
<form method="post" action="ServerFileToExecute.php">
<input type="submit" name="save" value="Click here to save" />
<input type="submit" name="delete" value="Click here to delete" />
</form>
The server side could look something like this if you use php:
<?php
if(isset($_POST['save']))
echo "Stored!";
else if(isset($_POST['delete']))
echo "Deleted!";
else
echo "Action is missing!";
?>

HTML 4.x & HTML5 disallow nested forms, but HTML5 allows a workaround with the "form" attribute ("form owner").
As for HTML 4.x you can:
Use an extra form(s) with only hidden fields & JavaScript to set its input's and submit the form.
Use CSS to line up several HTML form to look like a single entity - but it might be complicated to do.

As others have said, it is not valid HTML.
It sounds like your are doing this to position the forms visually within each other. If that is the case, just do two separate forms and use CSS to position them.

No, the HTML specification states that no FORM element should contain another FORM element.

A possibility is to have an iframe inside the outer form. The iframe contains the inner form. Make sure to use the <base target="_parent" /> tag inside the head tag of the iframe to make the form behave as part of the main page.

You can answer your own question very easily by inputting the HTML code into the W3 Validator. (It features a text input field, you won't even have to put your code on a server...)
(And no, it won't validate.)

rather use a custom javascript-method inside the action attribute of the form!
eg
<html>
<head>
<script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">
var input1 = null;
var input2 = null;
function InitInputs() {
if (input1 == null) {
input1 = document.getElementById("input1");
}
if (input2 == null) {
input2 = document.getElementById("input2");
}
if (input1 == null) {
alert("input1 missing");
}
if (input2 == null) {
alert("input2 missing");
}
}
function myMethod1() {
InitInputs();
alert(input1.value + " " + input2.value);
}
function myMethod2() {
InitInputs();
alert(input1.value);
}
</script>
</head>
<body>
<form action="javascript:myMethod1();">
<input id="input1" type="text" />
<input id="input2" type="text" />
<input type="button" onclick="myMethod2()" value="myMethod2"/>
<input type="submit" value="myMethod1" />
</form>
</body>
</html>

As workaround you could use formaction attribute on submit button. And just use different names on your inputs.
<form action="a">
<input.../>
<!-- Form 2 inputs -->
<input.../>
<input.../>
<input.../>
<input type="submit" formaction="b">
</form>
<input.../>

no,
see w3c

No, it is not valid. But a "solution" can be creating a modal window outside of form "a" containing the form "b".
<div id="myModalFormB" class="modal">
<form action="b">
<input.../>
<input.../>
<input.../>
<button type="submit">Save</button>
</form>
</div>
<form action="a">
<input.../>
Open modal b
<input.../>
</form>
It can be easily done if you are using bootstrap or materialize css.
I'm doing this to avoid using iframe.

Fast Solution:
To obtain different validations to different forms and keep their submits in separated functions you can do this:
<form id="form1" onsubmit="alert('form1')"></form>
<form id="form2" onsubmit="alert('form2')"></form>
<div>
<input form="form1" required />
<input form="form1" required />
<div>
<input form="form2" required />
<input form="form2" required />
<button form="form2" type="submit">Send form2</button>
</div>
<input form="form1" required />
<button form="form1" type="submit">Send form1</button>
</div>

A non-JavaScript workaround for nesting form tags:
Because you allow for
all fields minus those within "b".
when submitting "a", the following would work, using regular web-forms without fancy JavaScript tricks:
Step 1. Put each form on its own web page.
Step 2. Insert an iframe wherever you want this sub-form to appear.
Step 3. Profit.
I tried to use a code-playground website to show a demo, but many of them prohibit embedding their websites in iframes, even within their own domain.

You are trying to implement nested form which is not supported in HTML.
Every form must be enclosed within a FORM element. There can be
several forms in a single document, but the FORM element can't be
nested.
Workaround
You can implement this functionality with some change in HTML and JavaScript. (without using html forms)
Steps
1. Create both forms with div tag as follows (do not use form tag)
<div id="form_a">
<input.../>
<div id="form_b">
<input.../>
<input.../>
<button id="submit_b">Submit B</button>
</div>
<input.../>
<button id="submit_a">Submit A</button>
</div >
2. Add JQuery and Ajax to submit each form data
<script>
// Submit form A data
$('#submit_a').click( function() {
$.ajax({
url: 'ajax-url',
type: 'post',
dataType: 'json',
data: $('#form_a input').not( "#form_b input" ).serialize(),
success: function(data) {
// ... do something with the data...
}
});
});
// Submit form B data
$('#submit_b').click( function() {
$.ajax({
url: 'ajax-url',
type: 'post',
dataType: 'json',
data: $('#form_b input').serialize(),
success: function(data) {
// ... do something with the data...
}
});
});
</script>

If you need your form to submit/commit data to a 1:M relational database, I would recommend creating an "after insert" DB trigger on table A that will insert the necessary data for table B.

Nested forms in AngularJS

You can find a Plunker demonstrating the Problem here: Plunker
I want to use nested forms in AngularJS. To do that it seems like ng-form is the way to go and i tried the following:
<form novalidate ng-submit="ctrl.form1()">
<button type=submit>Form1</button>
<ng-form novalidate ng-submit="ctrl.form2()">
<button type=submit>Form2</button>
</ng-form>
</form>
While I expected the inner submit to execute the submit-action of the inner form, instead the method form1() is called everytime when i click either button.
Why does it behave like this and how can i achieve the expected result?

You can use one of the following two ways to specify what javascript method should be called when a form is submitted:
* ngSubmit directive on the form element
* ngClick directive on the first button or input field of type submit (input[type=submit])
Visit Angular Forms
<form novalidate>
<button type=submit ng-click="ctrl.form1()">Form1</button>
<ng-form novalidate >
<button type=submit ng-click="ctrl.form2()">Form2</button>
</ng-form>
</form>
see working plunker here

Form action affects only the form itself

I'm working on a single PHP file, which has 2 different forms.
Example:
<form action="index.php" method="POST">
<input type="checkbox" name="box1">
<input type="submit" value="submit1" name="submit">
</form>
<br>
<form action="index.php" method="POST">
<input type="checkbox" name="box2">
<input type="submit" value="submit2" name="submit">
</form>
My problem is, I want to make both of them work at the same time, independent from each other. For example, when I hit 'submit1', the whole index.php reloads since action is set to that page. The other checkbox might lose it's condition, if I set it to checked before submitting the first form. Might be confusing, I know.. Since I have PHP code behind, I can' really handle the whole thing between 1 form tag. That's why I'm asking if there's another option like javascript, or something. Thanks in advance!

You can use a javascript cookie. You could set it so the cookie will have the fields and values of everything in both forms, and then is saved/created upon submit. Then once the page is reloaded, javascript can split the cookie and refill the field values for the other form. You might need a hidden field in both forms so that you can identify which form was submitted. Here's a tutorial that might explain cookies to you in greater detail: http://www.tutorialspoint.com/javascript/javascript_cookies.htm

does the submit button have to be contained in the form

I want my submit button to be positioned somewhere that outside my form element? Do I have any options? With the exception of jquery.
Thanks,
rodchar

Another approach to this is merely to set the form attribute on the button:
<form id="first">
<input type="submit" form="second" value="Submit Second" />
</form>
<form id="second">
<input type="submit" form="first" value="Submit First" />
</form>
Fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/52wgc2ym/
Original Answer
The natural behavior of a submit button is to submit the nearest form up its hierarchy. The only other way to get a button to submit a form which it doesn't reside in is to use JavaScript (which is what jQuery is, basically).
If necessary, you could reposition the submit button so that it appears as though it's not in the form visually when the page is rendered. You would do this using CSS, which may give the desired result(s).

The submit button needs to be inside the form, yes.
It seems strange to me to want it any other way, anyway. What would be the point if the input controls were in one place on the page, and the submit button was waaay over there somewhere else?

Yes, structurally the submit button needs to be inside a form element for the document to be valid X/HTML. But visually you can position the submit button anywhere you want with appropriate CSS (float, absolute/relative positioning, etc). You could also write JavaScript that will trigger the form submission and tie it to another element.

This is a common situation. I think this will do it (haven't tested it):
<form id="form1" action="someAction.cgi" method="GET">
<!-- other fields go here -->
</form>
<form id="form2" action="someOtherAction.cgi" method="GET">
<!-- other fields go here -->
</form>
<form>
<input value="Form One" type="button"
onclick="document.getElementById('form1').submit();"/>
<input value="Form Two" type="button"
onclick="document.getElementById('form2').submit();"/>
</form>
I'm not sure if you need that last <form>. I seem to remember browsers ignoring events if the button wasn't in a form.

Inputs of type submit only make sense as children of <form> elements. But using CSS I'm sure you can position it wherever you like. Remember form elements are "invisible" so just expand the tags around more of your content and you're covered. Here's the documentation on forms for HTML4, it's still appropriate.

This is the another type of answer getting more clear view from egrunin answer
<form id="form1" name="form1" action="someAction.cgi" method="GET">
<!-- other fields go here -->
</form>
<form id="form2" name="form2" action="someOtherAction.cgi" method="GET">
<!-- other fields go here -->
</form>
Calling by form id:
<form>
<input value="Form One" type="button"
onclick="document.getElementById('form1').submit();"/>
<input value="Form Two" type="button"
onclick="document.getElementById('form2').submit();"/>
</form>
or Calling by form name:
<form>
<input value="Form One" type="button"
onclick="document.form1.submit();"/>
<input value="Form Two" type="button"
onclick="document.form2.submit();"/>
</form>