How Can WebDriverWait Improve Element Waiting in Selenium WebDriver with Java?

WebDriver: Waiting for Elements Using Java

Introduction

In automated testing, it is crucial to ensure that elements are present and visible before interacting with them. This article explores the challenges faced when using implicit waits and presents an alternative approach for explicitly waiting for elements to be displayed.

Implicit Wait

Initially, implicit waits were used to handle the issue of waiting for elements:

driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
driver.findElement(By.id(prop.getProperty(vName))).click();

However, implicit waits have limitations. They wait for an element to appear within the specified timeout, but if the element is not found, they continue to search for it, potentially leading to extended wait times.

Explicit Waiting

To address these limitations, explicit waiting strategies can be used. One approach involves using a timed loop:

for (int second = 0;; second++) {
    Thread.sleep(sleepTime);
    if (second >= 10)
        fail("timeout : " + vName);
    try {
        if (driver.findElement(By.id(prop.getProperty(vName))).isDisplayed())
            break;
    } catch (Exception e) {...}
}
driver.findElement(By.id(prop.getProperty(vName))).click();

While this approach provides explicit control over the wait time, it can be cumbersome and susceptible to race conditions.

WebDriverWait

A more robust and efficient approach is to use the WebDriverWait class:

WebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(webDriver, timeoutInSeconds);
wait.until(ExpectedConditions.visibilityOfElementLocated(By.id<locator>));

The WebDriverWait class provides methods for different wait scenarios, such as waiting for an element to be visible, clickable, or present. It consistently waits for the specified timeout and throws an exception if the condition is not met, making test execution more reliable and reducing flakiness.

Conclusion

Explicit waiting strategies using WebDriverWait are a reliable and effective approach for handling the presence and visibility of elements in automated testing. They provide more granular control, enhance test robustness, and reduce potential wait issues compared to implicit waits or timed loops.

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