Select a node with XPath whose child node contains a specific inner text

15
votes

Given the following XML:

<root>
    <li><span>abcText1cba</span></li>
    <li><span>abcText2cba</span></li>
</root>

I want to select all li elements having a span child node containing an inner text of Text1 - using an XPath.

I started off with /root/li[span] and then tried to further check with: /root/li[span[contains(text(), 'Text1')]]

However, this does not return any nodes. I fail to see why, can somebody help me out?

4
xmlxpath
Your XPath is correct. Which processor are you using, either it does have some serious bug or you might be calling it wrong. As a side note, I think /li[contains(span, 'Text1')] Is a bit more elegant and shorter. You certainly con't need the text(), just use . as it will be automatically converted to an atomic value. - dirkk
Your second XPath does appear correct. Perhaps a namespace issue? Is your XML actually in a namespace? - adamretter
Just for clarification, because it got a few upvotes over the years: it's been a namespace problem. - D.R.

4 Answers

22
votes

Just for readers. The xpath is correct. OP: Perhaps xpath parser didnt support the expression?

/root/li[span[contains(text(), "Text1")]]
17
votes
//li[./span[contains(text(),'Text1')]] - have just one target result
//li[./span[contains(text(),'Text')]] - returns two results as target

This approach is using something that isn't well documented anywhere and just few understands how it's powerful

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Element specified by Xpath has a child node defined by another xpath

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1
votes

Try this XPath

li/*[@innertext='text']
1
votes

Your current xpath should be correct. Here is an alternative but ugly one.

XmlNodeList nodes = doc.SelectNodes("//span/parent::li/span[contains(text(), 'Text1')]/parent::li");

We find all the span-tags. Then we find all the li-tags that has a span-tag as child and contains the 'Text1'.

OR simply:

//span[contains(text(), 'Text1')]/parent::li