XPath Mastery: Efficiently Locating Web Elements

XPath Mastery

Can you test a web element without locating it? No? Now imagine locating one element on a complex application that consists of thousands of such elements. If you fail to do so, you will affect the accuracy and performance of your automated tests. This is the problem that XPath tries to resolve.

Are you new to XPath? Don’t worry! Our article will guide you. Here, we will dive into XPath while exploring its types, syntax, strategies, and all the best practices. The final goal of this article will be to help you master the art of efficient element location.

What Is XPath

Let us not immediately get into all the complex details of XPath. Instead, let us begin with its basics and understand its major features. Under the hood, it is a query language to select nodes from an XML document. In web development, testers mostly use it to navigate HTML Document Object Model (DOM) structures while identifying and interacting with web elements during automation testing.

To further boost our understanding of XPath, let us go through some of its major features:

• It gives you the ultimate flexibility for element selection, as you have options to choose elements based on hierarchy, attributes, text context, and other relationships.
• XPath is also highly adaptable, as it will work seamlessly across multiple platforms and browsers. So, you will not face any form of configuration restrictions while using this tool.
• While using XPath, you will have the option to enable both Relative XPaths and Absolute XPaths for identifying elements. This approach will create a balance building specificity and also test maintainability.

Types of XPath Expressions

It is very important to note the two major types of XPath expressions that are available while locating elements in modern web automation testing. To simplify this knowledge for the new testers, we have mentioned those variations that depend on how the path is defined:

1. Absolute XPath

If you use Absolute XPath, it will start from the root of the DOM and will trace a direct path to the target element. In a typical application testing syntax, it will be denoted by a single forward slash (/).

To help you understand the use of absolute XPath, we have mentioned a sample code line that uses this expression:

/html/body/div[2]/div[1]/button

One of the major advantages of using Absolute XPath is that it is straightforward and also very easy to construct. This means the developers do not have to waste a lot of time learning and adopting this practice.

On the other hand, while using absolute XPaths, you should also be aware that it is highly fragile. This means that any change in the Document Object Model structure will break the path and also hamper the efficiency of the element location.

2. Relative XPath

In contrary to Absolute XPath, Relative XPath will start from a specific node and will traverse to the desired element. The typical code line will be denoted by a double forward slash (//).

The following example code line shows you how to use relative XPath during automation testing:

//button[@id=’submit’]

The major benefit of using relative XPath is that it is more robust and adaptable to changes in the DOM. This means that if you change the code snippet along the way, it will not break the functioning of the entire workflow.

However, relative XPath also comes with a major disadvantage as it is slightly complex to construct for beginners. This means that you will have to invest a significant amount of time in understanding the structure and implementation of this expression.

Constructing Efficient XPath Expressions

There are various practices that the testers can adopt to improve the efficiency of their XPath expressions. Below we have created a list of some of the most efficient ways in which you can achieve this goal:

Using Attributes

In a common scenario, you will use attributes to locate elements within the XPath structure. The syntax of an attribute will look like the following:

//tagname[@attribute=’value’]

We have also mentioned a sample code snippet that will help you implement this step in XPath:

Using Text Content

The testers also have the option of locating elements on a web application by using the visible text. This is possible due to the text()  function that is natively available in XPath. The following syntax will help you implement this step in XPath:

//tagname[text()=’exact text’]

The attached code snippet shows the implementation of using text content in the XPath terminal window:

Using Contains() Function

You can use the contains() function to identify elements with partially matching attributes or text content. This implementation becomes increasingly useful when you are working on an application where the elements might share similar attributes. The following code snippet shows the syntax for this process:

//tagname[contains(@attribute, ‘value’)]

//tagname[contains(text(), ‘partial text’)]

To further help you understand the implementation, we have also attached a sample locating strategy with this function:

Using Starts-With() Function

XPath also allows you to use the starts-with() function to look at elements whose attribute values start with a specific string. This function helps you narrow down multiple elements at the same time. In case you want to implement this function, you simply have to use the following syntax:

//tagname[starts-with(@attribute, ‘value’)]

We have also mentioned a sample invocation strategy that uses this function:

Combining Conditions With Logical Operators

Finally, you have the option to combine multiple conditions using logical operators “and” and “or.” In simple terms, you can use multiple of the above locating strategies at the same instance using this process. The following syntax will help you implement this step in the XPath terminal window:

//tagname[@attribute1=’value1′ and @attribute2=’value2′]

To further help you understand this step, we have also attached a sample invoking strategy that combines multiple functions at the same time:

Axes in XPath

In XPath, you will come across multiple axes, which will help you to define the relationship between the current node and other nodes in the DOM. So, it is very important for you to master axes to gain more flexibility in crafting the XPath expressions.

To shed more light over this segment, we have mentioned all the major axes that are commonly used within an XPath expression:

• The Ancestor Axe will help you select all ancestors like parents and grandparents of the current node. You can invoke this axe using the syntax: “//tagname/ancestor::ancestor-tagname”.
• The Child Axe will help you to select all children of the current node. To implement this axe, you will have to use the syntax: “//tagname/child::child-tagname”.
• The Descendant Axe will select all descendants of the node, including the children and grandchildren. You can invoke this axe by using the syntax: “//tagname/descendant::descendant-tagname”.
• Testers can use the Following Axe to select all the nodes after the current node within the same code document. You can easily invoke this axe by using the syntax: “//tagname/following::following-tagname”.
• Similarly, you also have the option of using the Preceding Axe to select all axes before the current node within the document. The syntax “//tagname/preceding::preceding-tagname” will help you to implement this axe.
• Finally, you have the option of using the Parent Axe to select all the parents of the current node. You can implement this axe by the syntax: “//tagname/parent::parent-tagname

 Best Practices for Crafting XPath Expressions

Let us now go through some of the best practices for creating XPath expressions. We have carefully created this list to ensure that it serves both the beginner testers and also the veterans in this segment:

• You must prioritize Relative XPath as absolute XPath might break the functioning of your workflow due to its fragile infrastructure.
• It is also important for testers to use unique attributes like ID or name wherever possible. This is because there are multiple elements on a web application that might share the same container tags.
• It is very important for the testers to ensure that all their XPath expressions are readable and adaptable. This approach is highly important to ensure the maintainability of the overall testing infrastructure.
• We recommend the testers to avoid overly detailed paths. Instead, you must focus on key attributes and relationships as these will be crucial for the understanding of the team.
• Finally, you must use browser developer tools or XPath validation tools to test the expressions. This will ensure that these expressions are valid and ready to be implemented in the actual workflow of the application testing cycle.

Tools for Testing XPath

While using XPath for element identification in automation testing, you can utilize various third-party tools and platforms to further improve the efficiency and productivity of the overall testing infrastructure. Below we have mentioned certain tools that will assist you in this process:

●      Browser Developer Tools

As I mentioned earlier, you can use browser developer tools to inspect the Document Object Model and also test XPath expressions directly within the browser window. This process not only saves us a lot of development time but also reduces the testing overhead.

●      Online XPath Evaluators

The testers can use tools like XPath tester to validate the XPath expressions and ensure that there isn’t any syntax error or other functionality issue.

●      Automation Frameworks

Various automation testing frameworks like Selenium provide native support for XPath testing. This means that if you are using Selenium for initiating web automation testing, you do not need any third-party integration for using XPath in your testing environment.

●      LambdaTest

Although LambdaTest isn’t a typical XPath 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.

You can easily integrate LambdaTest with automation testing frameworks like Selenium to improve the efficiency of XPath-based web element selection. To further assist you with this integration, we have mentioned the relevant code snippet that you simply have to enter in the terminal window of Selenium:

The Bottom Line

Based on all the factors that we have put forward in this article, we can safely say that mastering XPath is a very important skill for all modern developers and testers. It becomes especially important if you are aiming to excel in web automation.

By identifying the syntax of XPath, using advanced features, and also abiding by all the best practices that we have mentioned in this article, you can efficiently locate and integrate with multiple web-based elements. You should also remember that by the adoption of XPath, the path to precision and efficiency in automation testing will become even clearer, which will allow you to create robust and maintainable test scripts in the long run.