Index: includes/common.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/common.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.992
diff -u -p -r1.992 common.inc
--- includes/common.inc	18 Sep 2009 10:54:20 -0000	1.992
+++ includes/common.inc	20 Sep 2009 19:17:01 -0000
@@ -4704,6 +4704,9 @@ function drupal_common_theme() {
     'form_element' => array(
       'arguments' => array('element' => NULL),
     ),
+    'form_required_marker' => array(
+      'arguments' => array(),
+    ),
     'text_format_wrapper' => array(
       'arguments' => array('element' => NULL),
     ),
Index: includes/form.inc
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/includes/form.inc,v
retrieving revision 1.374
diff -u -p -r1.374 form.inc
--- includes/form.inc	20 Sep 2009 07:32:17 -0000	1.374
+++ includes/form.inc	20 Sep 2009 19:17:03 -0000
@@ -2606,7 +2606,7 @@ function theme_form_element($element) {
   }
 
   $output = '<div class="' . implode(' ', $class) . '">' . "\n";
-  $required = !empty($element['#required']) ? '<span class="form-required" title="' . $t('This field is required.') . '">*</span>' : '';
+  $required = !empty($element['#required']) ? theme('form_required_marker') : '';
 
   if (!empty($element['#title']) && empty($element['#form_element_skip_title'])) {
     $title = $element['#title'];
@@ -2630,6 +2630,20 @@ function theme_form_element($element) {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Theme the marker for requried form elements.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   A string representing the marker to identify required form elements.
+ *
+ * @ingroup themeable
+ */
+function theme_form_required_marker() {
+  // This is also used in the installer, pre-database setup.
+  $t = get_t();
+  return '<span class="form-required" title="' . $t('This field is required.') . '">*</span>';
+}
+
+/**
  * Sets a form element's class attribute.
  *
  * Adds 'required' and 'error' classes as needed.
Index: modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/simpletest/tests/form.test,v
retrieving revision 1.15
diff -u -p -r1.15 form.test
--- modules/simpletest/tests/form.test	18 Sep 2009 00:12:48 -0000	1.15
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/form.test	20 Sep 2009 19:17:03 -0000
@@ -27,46 +27,61 @@ class FormsTestCase extends DrupalWebTes
     $empty_strings = array('""' => "", '"\n"' => "\n", '" "' => " ", '"\t"' => "\t", '" \n\t "' => " \n\t ", '"\n\n\n\n\n"' => "\n\n\n\n\n");
     $empty_arrays = array('array()' => array());
 
-    $elements['textfield']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'textfield', '#required' => TRUE);
+    $elements['textfield']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'textfield');
     $elements['textfield']['empty_values'] = $empty_strings;
 
-    $elements['password']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'password', '#required' => TRUE);
+    $elements['password']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'password');
     $elements['password']['empty_values'] = $empty_strings;
 
-    $elements['password_confirm']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'password_confirm', '#required' => TRUE);
+    $elements['password_confirm']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'password_confirm');
     $elements['password_confirm']['empty_values'] = $empty_strings;
 
-    $elements['textarea']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'textarea', '#required' => TRUE);
+    $elements['textarea']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'textarea');
     $elements['textarea']['empty_values'] = $empty_strings;
 
-    $elements['radios']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'radios', '#required' => TRUE, '#options' => array($this->randomName(), $this->randomName(), $this->randomName()));
+    $elements['radios']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'radios', '#options' => array($this->randomName(), $this->randomName(), $this->randomName()));
     $elements['radios']['empty_values'] = $empty_arrays;
 
-    $elements['checkboxes']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'checkboxes', '#required' => TRUE, '#options' => array($this->randomName(), $this->randomName(), $this->randomName()));
+    $elements['checkboxes']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'checkboxes', '#options' => array($this->randomName(), $this->randomName(), $this->randomName()));
     $elements['checkboxes']['empty_values'] = $empty_arrays;
 
-    $elements['select']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'select', '#required' => TRUE, '#options' => array($this->randomName(), $this->randomName(), $this->randomName()));
+    $elements['select']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'select', '#options' => array($this->randomName(), $this->randomName(), $this->randomName()));
     $elements['select']['empty_values'] = $empty_strings;
 
-    $elements['file']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'file', '#required' => TRUE);
+    $elements['file']['element'] = array('#title' => $this->randomName(), '#type' => 'file');
     $elements['file']['empty_values'] = $empty_strings;
 
+    // Regular expression to find the expected marker on required elements.
+    $required_marker_preg = '@<label.*<span class="form-required" title="This field is required\.">\*</span></label>@';
     // Go through all the elements and all the empty values for them
     foreach ($elements as $type => $data) {
       foreach ($data['empty_values'] as $key => $empty) {
-        $form_id = $this->randomName();
-        $form = $form_state = array();
-        $form['op'] = array('#type' => 'submit', '#value' => t('Submit'));
-        $element = $data['element']['#title'];
-        $form[$element] = $data['element'];
-        $form_state['values'][$element] = $empty;
-        $form_state['input'] = $form_state['values'];
-        $form_state['input']['form_id'] = $form_id;
-        $form_state['method'] = 'post';
-        drupal_prepare_form($form_id, $form, $form_state);
-        drupal_process_form($form_id, $form, $form_state);
-        $errors = form_get_errors();
-        $this->assertTrue(isset($errors[$element]), "Check empty($key) '$type' field '$element'");
+        foreach (array(TRUE, FALSE) as $required) {
+          $form_id = $this->randomName();
+          $form = $form_state = array();
+          $form['op'] = array('#type' => 'submit', '#value' => t('Submit'));
+          $element = $data['element']['#title'];
+          $form[$element] = $data['element'];
+          $form[$element]['#required'] = $required;
+          $form_state['values'][$element] = $empty;
+          $form_state['input'] = $form_state['values'];
+          $form_state['input']['form_id'] = $form_id;
+          $form_state['method'] = 'post';
+          drupal_prepare_form($form_id, $form, $form_state);
+          drupal_process_form($form_id, $form, $form_state);
+          $form_output = drupal_render($form[$element]);
+          if ($required) {
+            $errors = form_get_errors();
+            // Make sure we have a form error for this element.
+            $this->assertTrue(isset($errors[$element]), "Check empty($key) '$type' field '$element'");
+            // Make sure the form element is marked as required.
+            $this->assertTrue(preg_match($required_marker_preg, $form_output), "Required '$type' field is marked as required");
+          }
+          else {
+            // Make sure the form element is *not* marked as required.
+            $this->assertFalse(preg_match($required_marker_preg, $form_output), "Optional '$type' field is not marked as required");
+          }
+        }
       }
     }
     // Clear the expected form error messages so they don't appear as exceptions.