Utilizing WebElement.findElements() in Selenium to refine search outcomes

Question

Utilizing WebElement.findElements() in Selenium to refine search outcomes

After iterating through a list of WebElements, which I refer to as 'graphs', and finding descendants within each graph, I am encountering an issue where similar descendants from different graphs are being included in the results. Currently, I am using By.cssSelector() to find these elements. Additionally, I need to access information from the parent of these descendants, making it difficult to isolate them using only css selectors.

Does anyone have an explanation for why this might be happening? Is there a method to first find the child elements and then trace back to their respective parents?

I was considering using a selector like graph.findElements(By.cssSelector(".child:parent"), but this type of selector is not valid in CSS.

If there is any confusion in my explanation, please let me know.

Thanks!

EDIT_1: To provide more context, here is the hierarchy I am dealing with:

<div class="graph">
    <...several nested tags...>
        <div class="parent">
            <div class="child" />
            <div class="child" />
        </div>
    <...several nested tags.../>
</div>

... (repeated for multiple 'graph' elements)

When using graph.findElements(By.cssSelector(".parent")), it returns a list of 3 WebElements when I actually only need 1. On the other hand, using graph.findElements(By.cssSelector(".child")) correctly returns a list of 2 WebElements.

EDIT_2:

Here is the specific information I need to extract:

From the parent element: I need to retrieve the class name, as it acts as a boolean value determining the element's appearance.

From the first child element: I require its visual attributes, determined by the boolean class name, as well as a single unique class name for easy identification.

From the second child element: I need to extract its textual content, without relying on an ID or class name for locating it.

css selenium

Answer 1

Answer №1

Do you have to use By.cssSelector(".parent")? You might want to think about using By.className("parent") instead for the graph web element within your loop. Another option could be to try using By.xpath(".//parent") on the graph element. While Xpath may not be as quick or tidy, it only adds milliseconds to the process, so it's worth considering if it helps you locate the desired object. Although className() should do the trick, personally I lean towards Xpath as it allows me to specify the exact element I need (especially useful on websites with repeated class names).

Answer 2

Do you have to use By.cssSelector(".parent")? You might want to think about using By.className("parent") instead for the graph web element within your loop. Another option could be to try using By.xpath(".//parent") on the graph element. While Xpath may not be as quick or tidy, it only adds milliseconds to the process, so it's worth considering if it helps you locate the desired object. Although className() should do the trick, personally I lean towards Xpath as it allows me to specify the exact element I need (especially useful on websites with repeated class names).

Answer 3

Answer №2

After analyzing your inquiry, I believe I have a clearer understanding of what you need assistance with. It seems like you have explored one approach, but it's uncertain how extensively you pursued it.

List<WebElement> graphs = driver.findElements(By.cssSelector("div.graph"));
for (WebElement graph : graphs)
{
    List<WebElement> parents = graph.findElements(By.cssSelector("div.parent"));
    for (WebElement parent : parents)
    {
        List<WebElement> children = parent.findElements(By.cssSelector("div.child"));
        for (WebElement child : children)
        {
            if (child.getText().trim().equals("abc123"))
            {
                // The desired element has been located... perform an action on the parent
                System.out.println(parent.getText().trim());
                // Consider breaking out of the nested loops at some point
            }
        }
    }
}

Alternatively, you can directly target the specific child element you require using a CSS Selector, for instance:

driver.findElements(By.cssSelector("div.graph div.child"));

Iterate through these elements until you identify the one you need, then execute a

foundElement.findElement(By.xpath(".."));

To obtain the parent element. While somewhat cumbersome, this method will effectively achieve the desired outcome.

Answer 4

After analyzing your inquiry, I believe I have a clearer understanding of what you need assistance with. It seems like you have explored one approach, but it's uncertain how extensively you pursued it.

List<WebElement> graphs = driver.findElements(By.cssSelector("div.graph"));
for (WebElement graph : graphs)
{
    List<WebElement> parents = graph.findElements(By.cssSelector("div.parent"));
    for (WebElement parent : parents)
    {
        List<WebElement> children = parent.findElements(By.cssSelector("div.child"));
        for (WebElement child : children)
        {
            if (child.getText().trim().equals("abc123"))
            {
                // The desired element has been located... perform an action on the parent
                System.out.println(parent.getText().trim());
                // Consider breaking out of the nested loops at some point
            }
        }
    }
}

Alternatively, you can directly target the specific child element you require using a CSS Selector, for instance:

driver.findElements(By.cssSelector("div.graph div.child"));

Iterate through these elements until you identify the one you need, then execute a

foundElement.findElement(By.xpath(".."));

To obtain the parent element. While somewhat cumbersome, this method will effectively achieve the desired outcome.

Answer 5

Answer №3

After some experimentation, I managed to resolve the issue simply by changing the CSS selector I was using.

graph.findElements(By.cssSelector("table:nth-child(2) td"));

Initially, this code snippet returned a list of 3 WebElements, which was incorrect.

graph.findElements(By.cssSelector("table.mar10t td"));

However, when I switched to this CSS selector, I received a list of 2 WebElements, which was the correct outcome.

Interestingly, when I tested both CSS selector paths in Firebug, they produced the same results...

If anyone can shed light on why the first selector was incorrect, please share your insights in the comments. I'm eager to learn more about this behavior.

Answer 6

After some experimentation, I managed to resolve the issue simply by changing the CSS selector I was using.

graph.findElements(By.cssSelector("table:nth-child(2) td"));

Initially, this code snippet returned a list of 3 WebElements, which was incorrect.

graph.findElements(By.cssSelector("table.mar10t td"));

However, when I switched to this CSS selector, I received a list of 2 WebElements, which was the correct outcome.

Interestingly, when I tested both CSS selector paths in Firebug, they produced the same results...

If anyone can shed light on why the first selector was incorrect, please share your insights in the comments. I'm eager to learn more about this behavior.

Utilizing WebElement.findElements() in Selenium to refine search outcomes

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

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