What does xpath="1" mean in HTML?

Question

In my design code, the following is written. I cannot understand what xpath="1" means here.

<select class="search-category" id="ddlTemp" name="Template" xpath="1">
<option value="">Select</option>
<option value="a">a</option>
<option value="b">b</option>
</select>

kjhughes · Answer 1 · 2020-12-19T18:00:56.303

2

In General

There is no standard interpretation of xpath="1" in HTML because there is no standard xpath attribute on a select element (or any other HTML element). You've stumbled across some application's idiosyncratic markup; you'll have to consult the application's authors, documentation, or source code to learn the semantics of xpath="1".

Note further that the proper way to add an application or user specific attribute would have been to name it with a data- prefix: data-xpath.

Specific Application

There is an XPath utility, ChroPath, that runs as a browser extension and writes xpath (and css) attributes on elements. Credit: Randy Casburn answer to What is the significance of the attribute xpath="1" while constructing locators for Selenium tests

edited Dec 19 '20 at 18:00

answered Dec 16 '20 at 14:32

kjhughes

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The isDisplayed method is returning false for this element. I was wondering if that has any connection with xpath=1. – Chandrima Dec 16 '20 at 14:35
Again, an `xpath` attribute has no semantics defined at the HTML level. – kjhughes Dec 16 '20 at 14:37
@Chandrima , Check ancestors - most probably you will find `hidden` attribute in some ancestor `div` – JaSON Dec 16 '20 at 15:33
I'd have put my money with @kjhughes for a detailed answer :) however I have stumbled on both `xpath=1` and `xpath=2` and I.m still indecisive. – undetected Selenium Dec 17 '20 at 23:34
@DebanjanB: What application have you seen that writes or reads such attributes? – kjhughes Dec 17 '20 at 23:40
@kjhughes Can't recall atm but I'm sure I have answered a few of those relating to `xpath=1` let me check and get back to you. – undetected Selenium Dec 17 '20 at 23:45
1

@DebanjanB: Answer updated to include the name of the application responsible for creating `xpath="1"` attributes. Thanks for posting the [question](https://stackoverflow.com/q/65365459/290085) that uncovered the culprit. ;-) – kjhughes Dec 19 '20 at 17:38
@kjhughes Let me checkout the answer. – undetected Selenium Dec 19 '20 at 17:45

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 04 '21 at 16:09

XPath='1' is not the part of your HTML, it is being added through chropath plugin. You have copied this html with opened chropath tab. If you refresh the page and close the chropath tab, then you will not find xpath=1.

What does xpath="1" mean in HTML?

2 Answers2

In General

Specific Application

Linked