Prefer visible elements over hidden (with option)

History.txt

@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+# Version 1.0.0
+
+Release date:
+
+### Changed
+
+* Capybara now prefers visible elements over hidden elements, disable by setting Capybara.prefer_visible_elements = false
+
 # Version 0.4.1
 
 Release date:

lib/capybara.rb

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ module Capybara
   class << self
     attr_accessor :asset_root, :app_host, :run_server, :default_host
     attr_accessor :server_port, :server_boot_timeout
-    attr_accessor :default_selector, :default_wait_time, :ignore_hidden_elements
+    attr_accessor :default_selector, :default_wait_time, :ignore_hidden_elements, :prefer_visible_elements
     attr_accessor :save_and_open_page_path
 
     ##
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ module Capybara
     # [default_selector = :css/:xpath]    Methods which take a selector use the given type by default (Default: CSS)
     # [default_wait_time = Integer]       The number of seconds to wait for asynchronous processes to finish (Default: 2)
     # [ignore_hidden_elements = Boolean]  Whether to ignore hidden elements on the page (Default: false)
+    # [prefer_visible_elements = Boolean] Whether to prefer visible elements over hidden elements (Default: true)
     #
     # === DSL Options
     #
@@ -212,6 +213,7 @@ Capybara.configure do |config|
   config.default_selector = :css
   config.default_wait_time = 2
   config.ignore_hidden_elements = false
+  config.prefer_visible_elements = true
 end
 
 Capybara.register_driver :rack_test do |app|

lib/capybara/node/finders.rb

@@ -138,16 +138,17 @@ module Capybara
       #
       def first(*args)
         options = extract_normalized_options(args)
+        found_elements = []
 
         Capybara::Selector.normalize(*args).each do |path|
           find_in_base(path).each do |node|
             if matches_options(node, options)
-              return convert_element(node)
+              found_elements << convert_element(node)
+              return found_elements.last if not Capybara.prefer_visible_elements or node.visible?
             end
           end
         end
-
-        nil
+        found_elements.first
       end
 
     protected

lib/capybara/spec/session/first_spec.rb

@@ -44,19 +44,52 @@ shared_examples_for "first" do
 
     context "with visible filter" do
       after { Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = false }
-      it "should only find visible nodes" do
-        @session.first(:css, "a.visibility").should_not be_visible
-        @session.first(:css, "a.visibility", :visible => true).should be_visible
+      it "should only find visible nodes if true given" do
+        @session.first(:css, "a#invisible").should_not be_nil
+        @session.first(:css, "a#invisible", :visible => true).should be_nil
         Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
-        @session.first(:css, "a.visibility").should be_visible
+        @session.first(:css, "a#invisible").should be_nil
       end
 
-      it "should only find invisible nodes" do
+      it "should include invisible nodes if false given" do
         Capybara.ignore_hidden_elements = true
-        @session.first(:css, "a.visibility", :visible => false).should_not be_visible
+        @session.first(:css, "a#invisible", :visible => false).should_not be_nil
+        @session.first(:css, "a#invisible").should be_nil
       end
     end
 
+    context "with prefer visible elements" do
+      it "should find invisible elements if no visible element exists" do
+        @session.first(:css, 'a#invisible')[:id].should == 'invisible'
+      end
+
+      it "should prefer visible elements over invisible elements" do
+        @session.first(:css, 'a.visibility')[:id].should == 'visible'
+      end
+
+      it "should return the first invisible element if no visible elements exist" do
+        @session.first(:css, 'a.hidden')[:id].should == 'first_invisble'
+      end
+
+      it "find visible links normally" do
+        @session.first(:css, 'a#visible')[:id].should == 'visible'
+      end
+    end
+
+    context "without prefer visible elements" do
+      before { Capybara.prefer_visible_elements = false }
+
+      it "should find invisible elements if no visible element exists" do
+        @session.first(:css, 'a#invisible')[:id].should == 'invisible'
+      end
+
+      it "should not prefer visible elements over invisible elements" do
+        @session.first(:css, 'a.visibility')[:id].should == 'invisible'
+      end
+
+      after { Capybara.prefer_visible_elements = true }
+    end
+
     context "within a scope" do
       before do
         @session.visit('/with_scope')

lib/capybara/spec/views/with_html.erb

@@ -56,11 +56,15 @@
 </div>
 
 <div style="display: none;">
-  <a class="visibility">hidden link</a>
+  <a id="first_invisble" class="hidden">first hidden link</a>
+</div>
+
+<div style="display: none;">
+  <a id="invisible" class="visibility hidden">hidden link</a>
 </div>
 
 <div>
-  <a class="visibility">visible link</a>
+  <a id="visible" class="visibility">visible link</a>
 </div>
 
 <ul>