Looking up Fields using Session#elements hash

lib/webrat/core/form.rb

@@ -13,16 +13,8 @@ def initialize(session, element)
       @session  = session
       @element  = element
       @fields   = nil
-    end
-
-    def field_by_element(element, *field_types)
-      return nil if element.nil?
 
-      expected_path = Webrat::XML.xpath_to(element)
-
-      fields_by_type(field_types).detect do |possible_field|
-        possible_field.path == expected_path
-      end
+      fields # preload
     end
 
     def find_select_option(option_text)
@@ -44,7 +36,9 @@ def fields
       [SelectField, TextareaField, ButtonField, CheckboxField, PasswordField,
        RadioField, FileField, ResetField, TextField, HiddenField].each do |field_class|
         @fields += Webrat::XML.xpath_search(@element, *field_class.xpath_search).map do |element| 
-          field_class.new(self, element)
+          field = field_class.new(self, element)
+          @session.elements[Webrat::XML.xpath_to(element)] = field
+          field
         end
       end
 

lib/webrat/core/locators.rb

@@ -4,11 +4,7 @@ module Webrat
   module Locators
 
     def field_by_xpath(xpath)
-      element = Webrat::XML.xpath_search(dom, xpath).first
-
-      forms.detect_mapped do |form|
-        form.field_by_element(element)
-      end
+      field_by_element(Webrat::XML.xpath_at(dom, xpath))
     end
 
     def field(*args) # :nodoc:
@@ -47,9 +43,8 @@ def find_field_named(name, *field_types) #:nodoc:
     end
 
     def field_by_element(element, *field_types)
-      forms.detect_mapped do |form|
-        form.field_by_element(element, *field_types)
-      end
+      return nil if element.nil?
+      @session.elements[Webrat::XML.xpath_to(element)]
     end
 
     def area_by_element(element)

lib/webrat/core/scope.rb

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ def initialize(session, &block) #:nodoc:
       @session = session
       instance_eval(&block) if block_given?
 
+      forms # preload
       areas # preload
     end
 

lib/webrat/core/xml.rb

@@ -78,7 +78,11 @@ def self.attribute(element, attribute_name)
       else
         element.attributes[attribute_name]
       end
-    end    
+    end
+
+    def self.xpath_at(*args)
+      xpath_search(*args).first
+    end
 
     def self.xpath_search(element, *searches)
       searches.flatten.map do |search|