Run-time error '0': SeleniumError invalid argument using Selenium, vba and css selector to click a button

Question

I'm trying to click a button on a webpage, and keep getting the below error (sorry, can't embed images yet apparently, otherwise I would put a screenshot on here)

Run-time error '0': SeleniumError invalid argument

The Http for the button is

<input type="file" name="import_file" id="import_file" accept=".csv, text/csv">

I've tried bot.FindElementById("import_file").Clickand that returned the same error, so I then tried using the name, same error.

I've just tried bot.FindElementByCss("input#import_file[type='file'][name='import_file'][accept='.csv, text/csv']").Click and that returns the same error...

Not sure what to try next; any ideas? My entire sub is below for reference (with passwords, etc, overwritten obviously)

Sub import_csv()

Dim bot As New WebDriver

bot.Start "chrome", "https://website.com"
bot.Get "/"

'log in
bot.FindElementById("user_login").SendKeys ("####")
bot.FindElementById("user_password").SendKeys ("####")
bot.FindElementByName("commit").Click

'navigate to import screen
bot.Get ("/stocks/import_stocks")

'tick 'File has header row?'
bot.FindElementById("file_has_header").Click

'Click 'Browse...' to open import screen - this is where something isn't working
bot.FindElementByCss("input#import_file[type='file'][name='import_file'][accept='.csv, text/csv']").Click

'import
bot.FindElementByName("commit").Click
bot.SendKeys ("C:\Users\Duane Humphreys\Documents\calendar.CSV")
bot.SendKeys bot.Keys.Enter
bot.FindElementByName("commit").Click

End Sub

EDIT: The html surrounding the button I'm trying to click is below, if that's useful:

<span class="l-inline-row-block form-file">
          <span class="l-inline-col" style="width: 110px;">
            <a class="btn-medium btn-alt form-file-btn">
              Browse… <input type="file" name="import_file" id="import_file" accept=".csv, text/csv">
            </a>
          </span>
          <span class="l-inline-col">
            <input type="text" readonly="">
          </span>
        </span>

OK, can see the logic in that and will amend accordingly, but surely won't make any difference to the issue I'm trying to solve? — newuser2967, Nov 26 '19 at 14:33
is this a site where one can set up a no strings test account? — QHarr, Nov 26 '19 at 19:14
And did you update bot.Get "/stocks/import_stocks" (without the parentheses) to absolute path as suggested and still see same error? — QHarr, Nov 26 '19 at 19:16
@QHarr, no, this is an ERP system with access restricted to employees, sorry. And no, using absolute path hasn't fixed it. — newuser2967, Nov 27 '19 at 10:19

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 27 '19 at 11:33

I don't think this has solved the root cause of whatever is happening here, but I've managed to get round it with

bot.FindElementById("import_file").ClickAndHold
bot.SendKeys bot.Keys.Enter

I still have no idea why .ClickAndHold works and .click doesn't, but this will work for now. LMK if there's a cleaner way to achieve the same thing.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 27 '19 at 10:08

0

Invalid argument

The invalid argument error is a WebDriver error that occurs when the arguments passed to a command are either invalid or malformed.

This error message...

Run-time error '0': SeleniumError invalid argument

...implies that the arguments passed to a command are either invalid or malformed.

From the WebDriver - W3C Living Document:

There seems to be a minor issue with the presence of the dot character i.e. . with in the Locator Strategy you have used. In short, you need to avoid the . character in your locators. You can use either of the following solutions:

bot.FindElementByCss("input#import_file[type='file'][name='import_file'][accept*='csv']").Click

Or

bot.FindElementByCss("input#import_file[type='file'][name='import_file'][accept$='text/csv']").Click

answered Nov 27 '19 at 10:08

undetected Selenium

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Thanks for the input @DebanjanB, and I can see the logic, but neither of them have worked. The element name is actually unique without the 'accepts' property, so I've tried it without that, and it still doesn't work. I've added the html around the button in the original question, if that's of any use – newuser2967 Nov 27 '19 at 10:28
@dhumphreys Apply some wait for the _element to be clickable_ before trying to identify the element and invoking `click()` – undetected Selenium Nov 27 '19 at 10:31
OK, so after bot.FindElementById("file_has_header").Click ? – newuser2967 Nov 27 '19 at 10:33
@dhumphreys Yes, after `bot.FindElementById("file_has_header").Click` – undetected Selenium Nov 27 '19 at 10:34
@dhumphreys Are you seeing the same error? Else update the question with the current error. – undetected Selenium Nov 27 '19 at 10:52

Run-time error '0': SeleniumError invalid argument using Selenium, vba and css selector to click a button

2 Answers2

Invalid argument

Linked