XPath is the short for XML Path Language. It is a useful query language to select nodes from an XML document. It plays a very important role in ensuring the proper execution of automation testing, web scraping, and various other tasks that involve precise web element selection.
To achieve web selection goals, XPath testers enable developers and testers to navigate the HTML Document Object Model (DOM) and accurately locate web elements. These tools are designed to create, test, and refine XPath expressions, ensuring precise element selection.
Understanding The Basics of XPath
Before we jump into the complex tools and technologies for web element selection, we must answer a basic question: What is XPath? It is nothing but a syntax used to define parts of the XML document.
The process uses path expressions to navigate through elements and attributes in an XML or HTML document. These expressions can be complex to allow the developers to select nodes based on a variety of factors. Some of the most important factors in this regard include element type attributes, values, and hierarchical relationships.
Basic XPath Syntax
If we have a glance, we will realize that the basic syntax of XPath is very simple. Here, we have mentioned some of the most common examples in this regard to prove our point:
- To select an element by name, the testers simply have to enter the following command in the terminal window:
“//tagname”
- To select an element based on its attribute, the application testers simply have to enter the following command in the terminal window:
“//tagname[@attribute=’value’]”
- The basic syntax of XPath also allows you to invoke wildcards for selecting all the elements that are currently present in the document. To implement this process, you simply have to enter the following command in the terminal window:
“//*”
- Finally, you can easily navigate through the hierarchy of XPaths to select all the child elements that are currently present under the parent tree. To invoke this process, you simply have to type the following method in the terminal screen:
“//parent/child”
Advanced XPath Syntax
Now let us divert our attention towards some of the dedicated advanced querying features that are available with XPath:
- The testers can use “contains()” to verify whether an attribute contains the specified value that they are going to mention in the testing phase.
- The “starts-with()” querying method allows you to check if an attribute starts with a specified value as per your requirements.
- You can use the “text()” query method to select the entire text content present within the specified element.
- Finally, the “position()” function allows you to select elements based on their position within the current document.
We also advise the testers to regularly test and refine all these XPath expressions using the XPath testing tools that we are going to discuss in the later part of this article. This approach will ensure that your XPath expressions remain accurate and reliable with the evolution of the web app.
Importance of XPath in Web Automation
To further understand the scope and importance of implementing XPath in modern web scraping processes, let us divert our attention towards the other major factors that justify the importance of XPath in modern web automation:
- It helps to easily and swiftly extract data from web pages by navigating through the HTML structure. It also has a very important role in easily navigating the required elements within the application’s content infrastructure.
- The testers can use XPath to identify and interact with web elements within the automation test scripts. This process is available for all the popular automation testing frameworks like Selenium.
- The integration of XPath also has a very important role in elevating the web development standards for a web application. This is because it helps in debugging and testing web pages by inspecting and manipulating the elements present within the DOM.
Popular XPath Testing Tools
In the current market, multiple XPath testing tools are easily available. But you must remember that each of these tools is unique and have different approaches. So, to shed more light on this segment, we have gathered some of the most important names on this list:
Chrome DevTools
This is the built-in feature of the Google Chrome browser. This option provides a powerful suite of tools to enable web development and debugging. It also comes with an XPath evaluator. This is a very good option to test XPath expressions directly from the browser.
Wondering how to use Chrome DevTools? You simply have to follow the given steps in the intended chronological order:
- The first step is to open Chrome and navigate to the web page that you are trying to inspect.
- After this, you have to right-click on the page and select the inspect option, which will be available in the DevTools primary menu.
- The next step is to go to the elements panel and turn on the search option using Ctrl+F for Windows and Cmd+F for Mac.
- The final step in this process is to enter your desired XPath expression in the search box. After this, the DevTools will automatically highlight the matching elements within the document object model.
To further improve our understanding of Chrome DevTools, we have also mentioned some of the major advantages of using this option:
- The testers do not have to bear the trouble of downloading and installing any additional software on their system, as DevTools is a part of the browser by default.
- It provides real-time evaluation of XPath expressions and can also help you navigate to the element structure of the application.
- Chrome DevTools also provides detailed information about the matching elements so that you can also perform additional debugging and troubleshooting processes.
Firefox Developer Tools
Similar to Chrome DevTools, Firefox Developer Tools is also a native option of the Mozilla Firefox browser. It also helps you to check the XPath expressions and view matching elements in real time. Confused about using Firefox Developer Tools? You simply have to follow the given steps in the intended chronological order:
- Begin the process by opening Firefox and navigating to the web page that you’re currently trying to inspect.
- Opened your target webpage? Right-click on that page and select inspect element to launch the developer tools.
- Go to the inspector panel after this and initiate the search option by clicking Ctrl+F for Windows and Cmd+F for the Mac operating system.
- The final step is to enter your desired XPath expression within the search box. After this, developer tools will highlight the matching elements within the document object model.
If you are using the Firefox developer tools to test the XPath expressions on Mozilla Firefox, you will benefit from the following features:
- Since it is integrated with the browser, you do not have to download any additional software or extensions on your test machine.
- Similar to Chrome DevTools, it also provides real-time evolution of XPath expressions so that you can quickly fix any errors that might arise during the testing process.
- It also provides detailed information about all the matching elements within the XPath expression for further troubleshooting and debugging.
XPath Helper
We also decided to include a generic XPath tester that is available for more than one browser. So, XPath helper is one such tool that is present as an extension for both Chrome and Firefox. It simplifies the process of testing XPath expressions by adding a toolbar button and a keyboard shortcut for opening the sidebar.
Using this sidebar, you can easily enter the XPath expression and evaluate its functioning within the application infrastructure. Puzzled about implementing the Sidebar? We have given all the steps that you need to follow to use this tool:
- The first step is to install the XPath Helper extension for your chosen browser from the extension store.
- Now, you have to navigate to the web page that you want to inspect and click the XPath Helper toolbar button. You also have the option to use the shortcut Ctrl+Shift+X for the Windows platform.
- Finally, you have to enter the XPath expression in the sidebar and view the matching elements that will be automatically highlighted on the web page.
So, if you are using XPath helper to test the expressions, you will benefit from the following features of this tool:
- It is very easy to install and use. You can also go through the documentation in case you are stuck during the installation process.
- The sidebar option is very convenient for entering and evaluating the XPath expressions quickly without going through a complex installation and execution process.
- It will automatically highlight the matching elements on the page for proper visual visibility and ease of access.
LambdaTest
Although LambdaTest isn’t a typical JSONPath tester, it deserves mention due to its extensive feature set. At its core, LambdaTest is an AI-powered test execution platform that enables both manual and automated testing across over 3000+ real devices, browsers, and OS combinations.
LambdaTest integrates seamlessly with automation testing frameworks like Selenium, enhancing the efficiency of XPath-based web element selection during automation testing. To use XPath with Selenium on LambdaTest, you can simply enter the relevant code snippet in the Selenium terminal window.
n addition to XPath integration, LambdaTest offers parallel test execution and comprehensive test reporting, including multiple screenshots and videos, to help identify faulty elements and bugs more effectively.
Interestingly, LambdaTest also provides a free online JSONPath tester, allowing you to verify JSONPath expressions directly from a JSON file.
The Bottom Line
Based on all the information that we uncovered in this article, we can easily conclude that XPath is a very powerful tool for selecting web elements with precision. This process is important for tasks like web scripting and automation testing. Moreover, by understanding the basics of XPath syntax and utilizing all the advanced functions, the testers can create accurate and robust XPath expressions.
You also need to focus on enhancing the accuracy of XPath expressions. So whether you are a web developer, an XPath tester, or a data engineer, mastering XPath and using effective testing tools will massively improve your abilities. This upscaling will help you to interact with and extract data from web pages.
Finally, by using the right tools and technologies, you can easily move through the complexities of web automation and achieve precision in web element selection.