XPath abbreviated form

[nils.grimsmo]

What is the the syntax of the abbreviated form of the following XPath
query?

child::a/descendant::b[descendant::text()="foo"]

I try with

a//b[//text()="foo"]

but I get two nodes selected instead of one in

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<a>
<x>
<b>
<u>foo</u>
<v>bar</v>
</b>
</x>
<y>
<b>
<w>bar</w>
</b>
</y>
</a>

I am using Jaxen 1.1.1.


Klem fra Nils

 

[pgfearo]

What is the the syntax of the abbreviated form of the following XPath
query?

child::a/descendant::b[descendant::text()="foo"]

I try with

a//b[//text()="foo"]

but I get two nodes selected instead of one in

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<a>
<x>
<b>
<u>foo</u>
<v>bar</v>
</b>
</x>
<y>
<b>
<w>bar</w>
</b>
</y>
</a>

I am using Jaxen 1.1.1.

Klem fra Nils

The expression below should work and return only one node

a//b[.//text() = "foo"]

This provides only one node by prefixing '//' with '.' (self) in the
predicate.



Phil Fearon
http://www.sketchpath.com

 

[Richard Tobin]

What is the the syntax of the abbreviated form of the following XPath
query?

child::a/descendant::b[descendant::text()="foo"]

I try with

a//b[//text()="foo"]

the "//text()" in the predicate means and text descendants of the root
node. To find descendants of the context node, you need ".//text()".

Incidentally, "//" isn't exactly the same as "descendant". In
particular, "//*[1]" is not the same as "/descendant::*[1]", but it
doesn't make any difference in this case.

-- Richard

 

[Philippe Poulard]

(e-mail address removed) a écrit :

What is the the syntax of the abbreviated form of the following XPath
query?

child::a/descendant::b[descendant::text()="foo"]

I try with

a//b[//text()="foo"]

but I get two nodes selected instead of one in

// is short for /descendant-or-self::node()/

a//b[//text()="foo"]
means
a//b[/descendant-or-self::node()/="foo"]
it starts from the root

a//b[.//text()="foo"]
means
a//b[./descendant-or-self::node()/="foo"]
it doesn't start from the root

 

[Justin Johansson]

Me thinks this:

a//b[.//text()='foo']

What appears to be wrong with
a//b[//text()="foo"]
is that you are selecting descendants of the entire document root in the
predicate //text() whereas you really only want descendants of b
elements. Therefore you need to put a dot before the slashslash in the
predicate.

Cheers
Justin Johansson