diff --git a/admin/tool/behat/tests/behat/datetime_strings.feature b/admin/tool/behat/tests/behat/datetime_strings.feature
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0b4e7e55744
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/tool/behat/tests/behat/datetime_strings.feature
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+@tool @tool_behat
+Feature: Transform date time string arguments
+  In order to write tests with relative date and time
+  As a user
+  I need to apply some transformations to the steps arguments
+
+  Scenario: Set date in table and check date with specific format
+    Given I am on site homepage
+    And the following "users" exist:
+      | username  | firstname | lastname |
+      | teacher1  | Teacher   | 1        |
+    And the following "courses" exist:
+      | fullname | shortname | category |
+      | Course 1 | C1        | 0        |
+    And the following "activities" exist:
+      | activity | course | idnumber | name                 | intro                       | duedate       |
+      | assign   | C1     | assign1  | Test assignment name | Test assignment description | ##yesterday## |
+    And the following "course enrolments" exist:
+      | user     | course | role    |
+      | teacher1 | C1     | editingteacher |
+    And I log in as "teacher1"
+    And I follow "Course 1"
+    And I follow "Test assignment name"
+    And I should see "##yesterday##l, j F Y##"
+    And I log out
diff --git a/lib/tests/behat/behat_transformations.php b/lib/tests/behat/behat_transformations.php
index a8f745411cb..08174e1884d 100644
--- a/lib/tests/behat/behat_transformations.php
+++ b/lib/tests/behat/behat_transformations.php
@@ -44,26 +44,11 @@ use Behat\Gherkin\Node\TableNode;
  */
 class behat_transformations extends behat_base {
 
-    /**
-     * Removes escaped argument delimiters.
-     *
-     * We use double quotes as arguments delimiters and
-     * to add the " as part of an argument we escape it
-     * with a backslash, this method removes this backslash.
-     *
-     * @Transform /^((.*)"(.*))$/
-     * @param string $string
-     * @return string The string with the arguments fixed.
-     */
-    public function arg_replace_slashes($string) {
-        if (!is_scalar($string)) {
-            return $string;
-        }
-        return str_replace('\"', '"', $string);
-    }
-
     /**
      * Replaces $NASTYSTRING vars for a nasty string.
+     * NOTE: This has to be done before espace transformation, as
+     *       last transformation is performed first and it replaces
+     *       \" with ".
      *
      * @Transform /^((.*)\$NASTYSTRING(\d)(.*))$/
      * @param string $argument The whole argument value.
@@ -82,21 +67,42 @@ class behat_transformations extends behat_base {
      * Transformations applicable to TableNode arguments should also
      * be applied, adding them in a different method for Behat API restrictions.
      *
-     * @Transform table:Surname,My Surname $NASTYSTRING2
+     * @deprecated since Moodle 3.2 MDL-56335 - please do not use this function any more.
      * @param TableNode $tablenode
      * @return TableNode The transformed table
      */
     public function prefixed_tablenode_transformations(TableNode $tablenode) {
+        debugging('prefixed_tablenode_transformations() is deprecated. Please use tablenode_transformations() instead.',
+            DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
+
         return $this->tablenode_transformations($tablenode);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Removes escaped argument delimiters.
+     *
+     * We use double quotes as arguments delimiters and
+     * to add the " as part of an argument we escape it
+     * with a backslash, this method removes this backslash.
+     *
+     * @Transform /^((.*)"(.*))$/
+     * @param string $string
+     * @return string The string with the arguments fixed.
+     */
+    public function arg_replace_slashes($string) {
+        if (!is_scalar($string)) {
+            return $string;
+        }
+        return str_replace('\"', '"', $string);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Transformations for TableNode arguments.
      *
      * Transformations applicable to TableNode arguments should also
      * be applied, adding them in a different method for Behat API restrictions.
      *
-     * @Transform table:Surname,$NASTYSTRING1
+     * @Transform table:*
      * @param TableNode $tablenode
      * @return TableNode The transformed table
      */
@@ -110,6 +116,13 @@ class behat_transformations extends behat_base {
                 if (preg_match('/\$NASTYSTRING(\d)/', $rows[$rowkey][$colkey])) {
                     $rows[$rowkey][$colkey] = $this->replace_nasty_strings($rows[$rowkey][$colkey]);
                 }
+
+                // Transform time.
+                if (preg_match('/^##(.*)##$/', $rows[$rowkey][$colkey], $match)) {
+                    if (isset($match[1])) {
+                        $rows[$rowkey][$colkey] = $this->get_transformed_timestamp($match[1]);
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -138,4 +151,41 @@ class behat_transformations extends behat_base {
         );
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Convert string time to timestamp.
+     * Use ::time::STRING_TIME_TO_CONVERT::DATE_FORMAT::
+     *
+     * @Transform /^##(.*)##$/
+     * @param string $time
+     * @return int timestamp.
+     */
+    public function arg_time_to_string($time) {
+        return $this->get_transformed_timestamp($time);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Return timestamp for the time passed.
+     *
+     * @param string $time time to convert
+     * @return string
+     */
+    protected function get_transformed_timestamp($time) {
+        $timepassed = explode('##', $time);
+
+        // If not a valid time string, then just return what was passed.
+        if ((($timestamp = strtotime($timepassed[0])) === false)) {
+            return $time;
+        }
+
+        $count = count($timepassed);
+        if ($count === 2) {
+            // If timestamp with spcified format, then retrun date.
+            return date($timepassed[1], $timestamp);
+        } else if ($count === 1) {
+            return $timestamp;
+        } else {
+            // If not a valid time string, then just return what was passed.
+            return $time;
+        }
+    }
 }