Don't check for the groups list before filtering

Filter immediately because the page is going to reload anyway.

And don't check for the loading indicator because it the groups
list tree container appears after it disappears.

app/views/dashboard/groups/_groups.html.haml

 .js-groups-list-holder
   #js-groups-tree{ data: { hide_projects: 'true', endpoint: dashboard_groups_path(format: :json), path: dashboard_groups_path, form_sel: 'form#group-filter-form', filter_sel: '.js-groups-list-filter', holder_sel: '.js-groups-list-holder', dropdown_sel: '.js-group-filter-dropdown-wrap' } }
     .loading-container.text-center
-      = icon('spinner spin 2x', class: 'loading-animation prepend-top-20 qa-loading-animation')
+      = icon('spinner spin 2x', class: 'loading-animation prepend-top-20')

app/views/shared/groups/_empty_state.html.haml

-.group-empty-state.row.align-items-center.justify-content-center.qa-groups-empty-state
+.group-empty-state.row.align-items-center.justify-content-center
   .icon.text-center.order-md-2
     = custom_icon("icon_empty_groups")
 

qa/qa/page/component/groups_filter.rb

@@ -9,52 +9,26 @@ module QA
             element :groups_filter
           end
 
-          base.view 'app/views/shared/groups/_empty_state.html.haml' do
-            element :groups_empty_state
-          end
-
           base.view 'app/assets/javascripts/groups/components/groups.vue' do
             element :groups_list_tree_container
           end
-
-          base.view 'app/views/dashboard/groups/_groups.html.haml' do
-            element :loading_animation
-          end
         end
 
         private
 
-        # Filter the list of groups/projects by name
-        # If submit is true the return key will be sent to the browser to reload
-        # the page and fetch only the filtered results
-        def filter_by_name(name, submit: false)
-          wait(reload: false) do
-            # Wait 0 for the empty state element because it is there immediately
-            # if there are no groups. Otherwise there's a loading indicator and
-            # then groups_list_tree_container appears, which might take longer
-            page.has_css?(element_selector_css(:groups_empty_state), wait: 0) ||
-              page.has_css?(element_selector_css(:groups_list_tree_container))
-          end
-
-          field = find_element :groups_filter
-          field.set(name)
-          field.send_keys(:return) if submit
-        end
-
         def has_filtered_group?(name)
           # Filter and submit to reload the page and only retrieve the filtered results
-          filter_by_name(name, submit: true)
+          find_element(:groups_filter).set(name).send_keys(:return)
 
-          # Since we submitted after filtering the absence of the loading
-          # animation and the presence of groups_list_tree_container means we
-          # have the complete filtered list of groups
+          # Since we submitted after filtering, the presence of
+          # groups_list_tree_container means we have the complete filtered list
+          # of groups
           wait(reload: false) do
-            page.has_no_css?(element_selector_css(:loading_animation)) &&
             page.has_css?(element_selector_css(:groups_list_tree_container))
           end
 
           # If there are no groups we'll know immediately because we filtered the list
-          return if page.has_text?(/No groups or projects matched your search/, wait: 0)
+          return false if page.has_text?('No groups or projects matched your search', wait: 0)
 
           # The name will be present as filter input so we check for a link, not text
           page.has_link?(name, wait: 0)