I'm using id as identifier to find element, but exception stack trace is showing css selector

Question

I'm using Selenium Web driver with Java code. Whenever org.openqa.selenium.NoSuchElementException occurs, stack trace prints identifier method as css selector every time although I have used id to find web element.

I tried using xpath identifier and it prints perfect stack trace with correct identifier method. My sample code.

public void testMethod()
{
    try
    {
        driver.findElement(By.id("test"));
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        ex.printStackTrace();
    }
}

Stack trace output:

org.openqa.selenium.NoSuchElementException: no such element: Unable to locate element: {"method":"css selector","selector":"#test"}
  (Session info: chrome=75.0.3770.100)
For documentation on this error, please visit: http://seleniumhq.org/exceptions/no_such_element.html
Build info: version: '3.14.0', revision: 'aacccce0', time: '2018-08-02T20:19:58.91Z'
System info: host: 'DTB150', ip: '10.37.55.150', os.name: 'Windows 10', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '10.0', java.version: '1.8.0_181'
Driver info: org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver
Capabilities {acceptInsecureCerts: false, browserName: chrome, browserVersion: 75.0.3770.100, chrome: {chromedriverVersion: 75.0.3770.90 (a6dcaf7e3ec6f..., userDataDir: C:\Users\DEV~1.SOL\AppData\...}, goog:chromeOptions: {debuggerAddress: localhost:38152}, javascriptEnabled: true, networkConnectionEnabled: false, pageLoadStrategy: normal, platform: XP, platformName: XP, proxy: Proxy(), setWindowRect: true, strictFileInteractability: false, timeouts: {implicit: 0, pageLoad: 300000, script: 30000}, unhandledPromptBehavior: dismiss and notify}
Session ID: b6c8f6cd722e746281dd59657850e10f
*** Element info: {Using=id, value=test}

Check method in first line of exception. It says method: css selector although I'm using id to find element.

Is that some kind of error or I have misunderstood something or some problem with my code?

Maybe under the hood Selenium is converting your "by Id" search strategy to the CSS selector strategy? — Greg Burghardt, Jul 02 '19 at 15:33

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Jul 02 '19 at 14:50

See the exception : Unable to locate element: {"method":"css selector","selector":"#test"}

in css selector # represent an id.

If id is test and you are using it like this :

driver.findElement(By.id("test"));

Exception should be related to id if not found.

But if you are using it like

driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("#test"));

You would get the same exception as mentioned above in OP.

I'm using id as identifier to find element, but exception stack trace is showing css selector

1 Answers1