XPATH Basics

In this blog I’ll show you some of the useful Xpath expression which we use during development. I will start with one simple xml to make you you understand in simplest way.
Hope It will help those who are new in xpath.

PurchaseOrder.xml

1 >All items

$body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item

Result:

<p:item id="GF234324" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>Denim Jeans</p:description>

  <p:department>Clothing</p:department>

  <p:price>30.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>2</p:quantity>

</p:item><p:item id="HD312782" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>iPod 80Gb White</p:description>

  <p:department>Electrical</p:department>

  <p:price>99.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

</p:item><p:item id="HD998775" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>iPod Headphones</p:description>

  <p:department>Electrical</p:department>

  <p:price>19.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

</p:item><p:item id="KD123984" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>Frying Pan</p:description>

  <p:department>Home</p:department>

  <p:price>9.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

</p:item>

2> The first item in the order

$body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[1]

We are using the [1] to select the first item – XPath is unlike most programming languages which index  arrays from 0 rather than 1

Result:

<p:item id="GF234324" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>Denim Jeans</p:description>

  <p:department>Clothing</p:department>

  <p:price>30.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>2</p:quantity>

</p:item>

3>The id of the first item in the order

$body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[1]/@id

Result:GF234324

4>The description whose id is HD312782.

·         $body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[@id="HD312782"]/orac:description

<p:description xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com"> iPod 80Gb White </p:description>

·         $body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[@id="HD312782"]/orac:description/text()

   iPod 80Gb White

·         If with same id="HD312782" having more than one items,then it will result all the items

            $body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[@id="HD312782"]

            Result:

       <p:item id="HD312782" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

              <p:description>iPod 80Gb White</p:description>

              <p:department>Electrical</p:department>

              <p:price>99.99</p:price>

              <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

       </p:item><p:item id="HD312782" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

              <p:description>iPod Headphones</p:description>

              <p:department>Electrical</p:department>

              <p:price>19.99</p:price>

              <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

       </p:item>

$body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[@id="HD312782"]/orac:description/text()

Result: iPod 80Gb WhiteiPod Headphones

5> All items whose department having electrical in the purchase order

·         $body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[orac:department="Electrical"]

Result:

<p:item id="HD312782" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>iPod 80Gb White</p:description>

  <p:department>Electrical</p:department>

  <p:price>99.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

</p:item><p:item id="HD998775" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>iPod Headphones</p:description>

  <p:department>Electrical</p:department>

  <p:price>19.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

</p:item>

·         $body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[orac:department="Electrical"]/orac:price

<p:price xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">99.99</p:price>

<p:price xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">19.99</p:price>

6> The second item whose department having electrical in the purchase order

$body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[orac:department="Electrical"][2]

Result:It will show electrical items 2nd

<p:item id="HD998775" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>iPod Headphones</p:description>

  <p:department>Electrical</p:department>

  <p:price>19.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

</p:item>

7> showing all dept

$body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item/orac:department/text()

ClothingElectricalElectricalHome

8>The last item in the purchase order

$body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:items/orac:item[last()]

Result:

<p:item id="KD123984" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>Frying Pan</p:description>

  <p:department>Home</p:department>

  <p:price>9.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

</p:item>

9>The second item in the purchase order

·         $body/pur:PurchaseOrder/pur:items/pur:item[position()=2]

<p:item id="HD312782" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>iPod 80Gb White</p:description>

  <p:department>Electrical</p:department>

  <p:price>99.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

</p:item>

or

data($body/*:PurchaseOrder/*:items/*:item[2]/*:description)

Result: iPod 80Gb White

or $body/*:PurchaseOrder/*:items/*:item[2]

<p:item id="HD312782" xmlns:p="http://www.oracle.com">

  <p:description>iPod 80Gb White</p:description>

  <p:department>Electrical</p:department>

  <p:price>99.99</p:price>

  <p:quantity>1</p:quantity>

</p:item>

I want to retrieve price name of 2nd item node using relative path

$body//*:item[2]/*:price/text()

Result:99.99

I want to retrieve all price name using relative path

$body//*:price/text()

Result: 30.9999.9919.999.99

10> Relative path

·         The card number (assuming you don’t know its path)

$body//orac:cardNumber/text()

Result:1234-5678-1234-5678

·         The card number (assuming you don’t know its path or namespace):

$body//*:cardNumber/text()

Result:1234-5678-1234-5678

·         know the namespace

$body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:cardDetails/orac:cardNumber/text()

Result:1234-5678-1234-5678

11>The purchase order date in UK date format (i.e. DD/MM/YYYY)

translate('AB/CD/EFGH','EFGH-CD-AB', xs:string($body/orac:PurchaseOrder/orac:date/text()))

Result:

02/04/2010