I'm having trouble converting xpath expressions that I use in ReadyAPI for use in Python 3 with the lxml library. I've read the lxml documentation but I'm not getting the same results. Here's my XML: I use the following xpath expressions in ReadyAPI: //*:Reply[*:Name="Name of Reply"]/*:ID the expected returned result is: ID of Reply 1 and: //*:Reply[*:Name="Name of Reply"]/*:ContentsofReply/*:Content/*:IDofContent the

Convert ReadyAPI xpath for use in Python 3

I’m having trouble converting xpath expressions that I use in ReadyAPI for use in Python 3 with the lxml library. I’ve read the lxml documentation but I’m not getting the same results.

Here’s my XML:

<Envelope>
    <Body>
        <ReplyResponses>
            <RepyResults>
                <Reply>
                    <ContentsofReply>
                        <Content>
                            <IDofContent>ID of Content 1</IDofContent>
                        </Content>
                    </ContentsofReply>
                    <ID>ID of Reply 1</ID>
                    <Name>Name of Reply</Name>
                </Reply>
            </RepyResults>
        </ReplyResponses>
    </Body>
</Envelope>

JavaScript
​x
 
<Envelope>
    <Body>
        <ReplyResponses>
            <RepyResults>
                <Reply>
                    <ContentsofReply>
                        <Content>
                            <IDofContent>ID of Content 1</IDofContent>
                        </Content>
                    </ContentsofReply>
                    <ID>ID of Reply 1</ID>
                    <Name>Name of Reply</Name>
                </Reply>
            </RepyResults>
        </ReplyResponses>
    </Body>
</Envelope>
​

I use the following xpath expressions in ReadyAPI:

//*:Reply[*:Name="Name of Reply"]/*:ID

the expected returned result is:

ID of Reply 1

and:

//*:Reply[*:Name="Name of Reply"]/*:ContentsofReply/*:Content/*:IDofContent

the expected returned result is:

ID of Content 1

How do I get the same results in Python 3 with the lxml library? Thanks in advance.

Answer

The xpath expressions in your questions contain *:prefixes intended to be used with namespaces which aren’t in your sample xml.

To extract the same data from your sample xml with lxml, change your expressions to

//Reply[Name="Name of Reply"]/ContentsofReply/Content/IDofContent/text()

JavaScript
 
//Reply[Name="Name of Reply"]/ContentsofReply/Content/IDofContent/text()
​

to get

['ID of Content 1']

JavaScript
 
['ID of Content 1']
​

and to

//Reply[Name="Name of Reply"]/ID/text()

JavaScript
 
//Reply[Name="Name of Reply"]/ID/text()
​

to get

['ID of Reply 1']

JavaScript
 
['ID of Reply 1']
​

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Answer