SleepReplacer: a novel tool-based approach for replacing thread sleeps in selenium WebDriver test code

Abstract Assuring quality of web applications is fundamental, given their relevance in the today’s world. A possible way to reach this goal through end-to-end (E2E) testing, an approach which a application automatically tested by performing actions that user would do. With modern (for example, single-page applications), it great importance properly handle asynchronous calls test suite. In E2E Selenium WebDriver suites, are usually managed two ways: using thread sleeps or explicit waits. The first easier use, but inefficient and can lead instability (also called flakiness, problem often present suites makes us lose confidence testing phase), while second more efficient harder use because, if correct kind wait not carefully selected, introduce flakiness too. To help Testers, who opt for strategy, we work tool-based replace with waits suite without introducing new flakiness. We empirically validated our tool named SleepReplacer on four different found correctly automatic from 81 100% sleeps, leading significant reduction total execution time (i.e., 13 71%).