Add the new global setting ignore_hidden_elements that is true by default.

This setting adds a new behaviour in the interaction with hidden
elements. By default #locate, #click*, #choose, #select, etc. will
ignore hidden elements. You can override this behaviour setting
ignore_hidden_elements = false

lib/capybara.rb

@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@ module Capybara
   class ElementNotFound < CapybaraError; end
   class NotSupportedByDriverError < CapybaraError; end
   class TimeoutError < CapybaraError; end
+  class LocateHiddenElementError < CapybaraError; end
 
   class << self
     attr_accessor :debug, :asset_root, :app_host
     attr_writer :default_selector, :default_wait_time
-    
+    attr_writer :ignore_hidden_elements
 
     def default_selector
       @default_selector ||= :xpath
@@ -23,6 +24,10 @@ module Capybara
       @default_wait_time ||= 2
     end
 
+    def ignore_hidden_elements
+      (@ignore_hidden_elements.nil? || @ignore_hidden_elements) ? true : false
+    end
+
     def log(message)
       puts "[capybara] #{message}" if debug
       true

lib/capybara/session.rb

@@ -167,11 +167,13 @@ module Capybara
       Capybara::SaveAndOpenPage.save_and_open_page(body)
     end
 
-    #return node identified by locator or raise ElementNotFound(using desc)
+    # Return element identified by locator or raise ElementNotFound (using desc).
+    # If element is hidden raise LocateHiddenElementError.
     def locate(locator, fail_msg = nil)
-      node = wait_conditionally_until { find(locator) }
+      node = wait_conditionally_until { Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements ? find(locator, :visible => true) : find(locator) }
     ensure
       raise Capybara::ElementNotFound, fail_msg || "Unable to locate '#{locator}'" unless node
+      raise Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError, "The element selected by '#{locator}' is hidden" unless node.visible?
       return node
     end
 

spec/drivers_spec.rb

@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@ shared_examples_for 'driver' do
       end
 
       it "should find the correct number of elements" do
-        @driver.find('//a').size.should == 3
+        debugger
+        @driver.find('//a').size.should == 4
       end
 
       it "should extract node texts" do

spec/dsl/attach_file_spec.rb

@@ -48,6 +48,22 @@ module AttachFileSpec
           running { @session.attach_file('does not exist', 'foo.txt') }.should raise_error(Capybara::ElementNotFound)
         end
       end
+
+      context "with a locator that selects a hidden node" do
+        before do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+        end
+
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+
+        it "should raise an error" do
+          running do
+            @session.attach_file("hidden_form_upload", 'foo.txt')
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end  

spec/dsl/check_spec.rb

@@ -23,6 +23,22 @@ module CheckSpec
           running { @session.check('does not exist') }.should raise_error(Capybara::ElementNotFound)
         end
       end
+
+      context "with a locator that selects a hidden node" do
+        before do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+        end
+
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+
+        it "should raise an error" do
+          running do
+            @session.check('hidden_unchecked_checkbox')
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end  

spec/dsl/choose_spec.rb

@@ -23,6 +23,22 @@ module ChooseSpec
           running { @session.choose('does not exist') }.should raise_error(Capybara::ElementNotFound)
         end
       end
+
+      context "with a locator that selects a hidden node" do
+        before do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+        end
+
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+
+        it "should raise an error" do
+          running do
+            @session.choose("hidden_gender_male")
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end  

spec/dsl/click_button_spec.rb

@@ -144,6 +144,22 @@ module ClickButtonSpec
         end
       end
 
+      context "with a locator that selects a hidden node" do
+        before do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+        end
+
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+
+        it "should raise an error" do
+          running do
+            @session.click('Hidden button')
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
+
       it "should serialize and send GET forms" do
         @session.visit('/form')
         @session.click_button('med')

spec/dsl/click_link_spec.rb

@@ -34,6 +34,22 @@ module ClickLinkSpec
         end
       end
 
+      context "with a locator that selects a hidden node" do
+        before do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+        end
+
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+
+        it "should raise an error" do
+          running do
+            @session.click('hidden link')
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
+
       it "should follow redirects" do
         @session.click_link('Redirect')
         @session.body.should include('You landed')

spec/dsl/click_spec.rb

@@ -21,6 +21,23 @@ module ClickSpec
           end.should raise_error(Capybara::ElementNotFound)
         end
       end
+
+      context "with a locator that selects a hidden node" do
+        before do
+          @session.visit('/with_html')
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+        end
+
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+
+        it "should raise an error" do
+          running do
+            @session.click('hidden link')
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end  

spec/dsl/fill_in_spec.rb

@@ -60,6 +60,22 @@ module FillInSpec
           end.should raise_error(Capybara::ElementNotFound)
         end
       end
+
+      context "with a locator that selects a hidden node" do
+        before do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+        end
+
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+
+        it "should raise an error" do
+          running do
+            @session.fill_in('First Name', :with => 'Blah blah')
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end  

spec/dsl/locate_spec.rb

@@ -22,6 +22,24 @@ module LocateSpec
         @session.locate(@xpath).value.should == 'John Smith'
       end
 
+      it "should return a visible node by default" do
+        @session.visit('/form')
+        @session.locate(Capybara::XPath.text_field('First Name')).should be_visible
+      end
+
+      context "when ignore_hidden_elements is false" do
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+        it "should raise an exception hitting a hidden element" do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+          @session.visit('/form')
+          running do
+            @session.locate(Capybara::XPath.text_field('First Name')).should_not be_visible
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
+
       context "within a scope" do
         before do
           @session.visit('/with_scope')

spec/dsl/select_spec.rb

@@ -22,6 +22,22 @@ module SelectSpec
           running { @session.select('foo', :from => 'does not exist') }.should raise_error(Capybara::ElementNotFound)
         end
       end
+
+      context "with a locator that selects a hidden node" do
+        before do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+        end
+
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+
+        it "should raise an error" do
+          running do
+            @session.select("Finish", :from => 'Locale')
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end  

spec/dsl/uncheck_spec.rb

@@ -24,6 +24,22 @@ module UncheckSpec
           running { @session.uncheck('does not exist') }.should raise_error(Capybara::ElementNotFound)
         end
       end
+
+      context "with a locator that selects a hidden node" do
+        before do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+        end
+
+        after do
+          Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
+        end
+
+        it "should raise an error" do
+          running do
+            @session.uncheck('hidden_checked_checkbox')
+          end.should raise_error(Capybara::LocateHiddenElementError)
+        end
+      end
     end
   end
 end  

spec/views/form.erb

@@ -1,6 +1,26 @@
 <h1>Form</h1>
 
 <form action="/form" method="post">
+
+  <div style="display:none;">
+    <label for="form_first_name_hidden">
+      First Name
+      <input type="text" name="form[first_name]" value="John" id="form_first_name_hidden"/>
+    </label>
+    <button type="submit" id="hidden_button" value="click_me">Hidden button</button>
+    <input type="checkbox" id="hidden_unchecked_checkbox"/>
+    <input type="checkbox" id="hidden_checked_checkbox" checked="checked"/>
+    <label for="hidden_form_locale">Locale</label>
+    <select name="form[locale]" id="hidden_form_locale">
+      <option value="sv">Swedish</option>
+      <option selected="selected" value="en">English</option>
+      <option value="fi">Finish</option>
+      <option value="no">Norwegian</option>
+    </select>
+    <input type="radio" value="male" id="hidden_gender_male"/>
+    <input type="file" id="hidden_form_upload"/>
+  </div>
+
   <p>
     <label for="form_first_name">
       First Name

spec/views/with_html.erb

@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@
 
 <div id="hidden" style="display:none;">
   <div id="hidden_via_ancestor">Inside element with hidden ancestor</div>
+  <a href="/with_simple_html" title="awesome title" class="simple">hidden link</a>
 </div>