use cached schema if it exists for the field

frontend/src/app/shared/components/fields/edit/edit-form/edit-form.ts

@@ -318,15 +318,37 @@ export abstract class EditForm<T extends HalResource = HalResource> {
    * @param fieldName
    */
   private getFormFieldSchema(fieldName:string):Promise<IFieldSchema|null> {
+    // Sync fast path: whatever schema the changeset currently exposes (form-derived if
+    // loaded, otherwise the pristine resource's cached schema) usually contains the
+    // field. Returning it synchronously lets the field activate without waiting on the
+    // form request — required by Capybara specs whose activate! check has a tight
+    // timeout, and by tests that intentionally disable AJAX before activating a field.
+    const cachedSchema = (this.change.schema as ISchemaProxy).ofProperty(fieldName);
+    if (cachedSchema) {
+      // Still kick off the form load (or piggy-back on an in-flight one) so the form's
+      // defaults, allowed values, and projected payload are populated for subsequent
+      // edits/submissions. We don't await it, but we do surface any error (e.g. a 409
+      // lock-version conflict when the resource was modified elsewhere) through the
+      // same notification path the awaited code-path uses — otherwise the user would
+      // open the editor without ever being told their copy is stale.
+      this.change.getForm().catch((error:unknown) => {
+        console.error('Background form load failed for %s: %o', fieldName, error);
+        this.halNotification.handleRawError(error, this.resource);
+      });
+      return Promise.resolve(cachedSchema);
+    }
+
+    // Cached schema doesn't know about this field. Either the form hasn't been loaded
+    // at all, or the cached form is stale (e.g. the work package type was just changed
+    // and the new type's custom fields aren't in the cached form yet). Load the form,
+    // then retry; if still missing, force a full reload once.
     return this.change.getForm()
       .then(():Promise<IFieldSchema|null> => {
         const fieldSchema:IFieldSchema|null = (this.change.schema as ISchemaProxy).ofProperty(fieldName);
-
         if (fieldSchema) {
           return Promise.resolve(fieldSchema);
         }
 
-        // The cached form may be stale (e.g. type just changed); force a reload and retry once.
         return this.change.getForm(true).then(
           ():IFieldSchema|null => (this.change.schema as ISchemaProxy).ofProperty(fieldName),
         );