How to Create XPath in Selenium

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What is XPath?

XPath is a query language used to locate elements on a web page. It is used to navigate through the HTML document structure and locate elements on the page. XPath can be used to locate elements by their attributes, such as ID, class, or name. It can also be used to locate elements by their position in the document tree.

Why Use XPath in Selenium?

Selenium is an open-source automation testing tool used to test web applications. It is used to automate web browser interactions, such as clicking links, filling out forms, and verifying the functionality of web applications. XPath is used in Selenium to locate elements on a web page. By using XPath, you can locate elements on a web page quickly and accurately.

How to Create XPath in Selenium

Creating XPath in Selenium is a straightforward process. To create XPath in Selenium, you need to first locate the element on the web page. To do this, you can use the browser’s “Inspect” feature. This feature allows you to view the HTML code of the web page and locate the element you want to target.

Once you have located the element, you can create the XPath. To create the XPath, you need to use the element’s attributes, such as ID, class, or name. For example, if you want to locate the first name field on a web page, you can go to the First Name tab and right-click >> Inspect. On inspecting the web element, it will show an input tag and attributes like class and id. You can use the id and these attributes to construct XPath, which, in turn, will locate the first name field.

Let’s look at an example of how to create XPath in Selenium. Suppose you want to locate the “Sign Up” button on a web page. To do this, you can go to the “Sign Up” tab and right-click >> Inspect. On inspecting the web element, it will show a button tag and attributes like class and id. You can use the id and these attributes to construct XPath, which, in turn, will locate the “Sign Up” button.

Using XPath in Selenium

Once you have created the XPath, you can use it in Selenium to locate the element on the web page. To do this, you need to use the “findElement” method. This method takes a single argument, which is the XPath of the element you want to locate. For example, if you want to locate the “Sign Up” button, you can use the following code:

WebElement signUpButton = driver.findElement(By.xpath(“//button[@id=’signup-button’]”));

This code will locate the “Sign Up” button on the web page.

Using XPath Functions in Selenium

XPath also provides a number of functions that can be used to locate elements on a web page. These functions include contains(), starts-with(), and ends-with(). These functions can be used to locate elements based on their attributes. For example, if you want to locate all the elements with the class “button”, you can use the following code:

List buttons = driver.findElements(By.xpath(“//*[contains(@class, ‘button’)]”));

This code will locate all the elements with the class “button” on the web page.

Conclusion

XPath is a powerful query language used to locate elements on a web page. It can be used in Selenium to locate elements quickly and accurately. To create XPath in Selenium, you need to first locate the element on the web page using the browser’s “Inspect” feature. Once you have located the element, you can create the XPath using the element’s attributes. You can then use the XPath in Selenium to locate the element on the web page. XPath also provides a number of functions that can be used to locate elements based on their attributes. By using XPath in Selenium, you can quickly and accurately locate elements on a web page.