Function Description

Number of input and output field

Number of input field	:	One
Number of output field	:	One

XPathParser is used to extract values from XML data using XPath expressions. An XPath expression can return a nodeset, string, Boolean, or number.

Parameters used by XPathParser:

Pattern Expression
The XPath expression used to evaluate the value.
XPath Type
The data type of the evaluated value.
List's Value Delimiter
The delimiter used when the result is a list or nodeset.

To insert a field’s content into an XPath expression, use the syntax {field_index}. For example,[name='{1}'] evaluates whether the name element is equal to the content of the second field.

The following XML data will be used for subsequent examples.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
	 
    <cricketers>
        <cricketer type="righty">
            <name>MS Dhoni</name>
            <role>Captain</role>
            <position>Wicket-Keeper</position>
            <salary>9</salary>
        </cricketer>
        <cricketer type="lefty">
            <name>Shikhar Dhawan</name>
            <role>              Batsman</role>
            <position>Point</position>
            <salary>10</salary>
        </cricketer>
        <cricketer type="righty">
            <name>Virat Kohli</name>
            <role>Batsman</role>
            <position>cover</position>
            <salary>11</salary>
        </cricketer>
        <cricketer type="righty">
            <name>Shami</name>
            <role>Bowler</role>
            <position>SquareLeg</position>
            <salary>12</salary>
        </cricketer>
        <cricketer type="lefty">
            <name>Zaheer Khan</name>
            <role>Bowler</role>
            <position>FineLeg</position>
            <salary>13</salary>
        </cricketer>
    </cricketers>

Examples:

1. Retrieve the content of the name field where the type attribute is equal to righty.

XPath Expression ://cricketer[@type='righty']/name/text() 

XPath Type  : XPathConstants.STRING
List's Value Delimiter  : 

result : Shikhar Dhawan

2. Concatenate the values of the type attributes for cricketers with the names Shami and Zaheer Khan.

XPath Expression :concat(//cricketer[name='Shami']/@type,'-',//cricketer[name='Zaheer Khan']/@type) 

XPath Type  : XPathConstants.STRING
List's Value Delimiter  : 

result : righty-lefty

3. Retrieve the values of the name field for all cricketers.

XPath Expression ://cricketers/cricketer/name/text() 

XPath Type  : XPathConstants.NODESET
List's Value Delimiter  : ;

result : MS Dhoni;Shikhar Dhawan;Virat Kohli;Shami;Zaheer Khan

4. Retrieve the values of the name field for all cricketers where the type attribute is righty.

XPath Expression ://cricketers/cricketer[@type='righty']/name/text() 

XPath Type  : XPathConstants.NODESET
List's Value Delimiter  : ;

result : MS Dhoni;Virat Kohli;Shami

5. Retrieve the position of the cricketer with the name “M S Dhoni”.

XPath Expression ://cricketers/cricketer[name='MS Dhoni']/position/text() 

XPath Type  : XPathConstants.STRING
List's Value Delimiter  : 

result : Wicket-Keeper

6. Retrieve the values of the type attributes for all cricketers. 

XPath Expression ://cricketers/cricketer//@type 

XPath Type  : XPathConstants.NODESET
List's Value Delimiter  : ;

result : righty;lefty;righty;righty;lefty

7. Retrieve the type attribute value of the cricketer with the name Zaheer Khan. 

XPath Expression ://cricketers/cricketer[name='Zaheer Khan']/@type 

XPath Type  : XPathConstants.NODESET
List's Value Delimiter  : ;

result : lefty

8. Retrieve information for all cricketers except the salary field, using the concat function on the nodeset. 

   XPath Expression :
      concat(/cricketers/cricketer/@type,':',/cricketers/cricketer/name/text(),',',/cricketers/cricketer/role/text(),',',/cricketers/cricketer/position/text())
    
      XPath Type  : XPathConstants.NODESET
List's Value Delimiter  : ;

result :righty:MS Dhoni,Captain,Wicket-Keeper;lefty:Shikhar Dhawan,              Batsman,Point;righty:Virat Kohli,Batsman,cover;righty:Shami,Bowler,SquareLeg;lefty:Zaheer Khan,Bowler,FineLeg

The preceding expression can be replaced with the following expression:

   XPath Expression :
      concat(parent=/cricketers/cricketer # childs=/@type,/name/text(),/role/text(),/position/text() #separator=,)
    
      XPath Type  : XPathConstants.NODESET
List's Value Delimiter  : ;

result :righty,MS Dhoni,Captain,Wicket-Keeper;lefty,Shikhar Dhawan,              Batsman,Point;righty,Virat Kohli,Batsman,cover;righty,Shami,Bowler,SquareLeg;lefty:Zaheer Khan,Bowler,FineLegA list of useful paths and expression to select any node/ list of nodes from an XML document:

        No
        Expression
        Description
    
        1)
        node-name
        It is used to select all nodes with the given name "nodename"
    
        2)
        /
        It specifies that selection starts from the root node.
    
        3)
        //
        It specifies that selection starts from the current node that match the selection.
    
        4)
        .
        Select the current node.
    
        5)
        ..
        Select the parent of the current node.
    
        6)
        @
        Selects attributes.
    
        7)
        cricketer
        Example - selects all nodes with the name "cricketer".
    
        8)
        cricketers/cricketer
        Example - selects all cricketer elements that are children of cricketers
    
        9)
        //cricketer
        Selects all cricketer elements no matter where they are in the document
    
PredicatesPredicates are used to find a specific node or a node that contains a specific value.
Predicates are always embedded in square brackets.
In the table below we have listed some path expressions with predicates and the result of the 
expressions:

 Path Expression
    Result
  
    /cricketers/cricketer[1] 
    Selects the first cricketer element that is the child of the cricketers element.
    
    /cricketers/cricketer[last()]
    Selects the last cricketer element that is the child of the cricketers element
    
    /cricketers/cricketer[last()-1]
    Selects the last but one cricketer element that is the child of the cricketers element
  
    /cricketers/cricketer[position()<3]
    Selects the first two cricketer elements that are children of the cricketers element
  
    //cricketer[@type]
    Selects all the cricketer elements that have an attribute named type
  
    //cricketer[@type='lefty']
    Selects all the cricketer elements that have a "type" attribute  with a value of "lefty"
  
    /cricketers/cricketer[salary>10]
    Selects all the cricketer elements of the cricketers element that have a salary element with a value greater than 10
  
    /cricketers/cricketer[salary>10]/name
    Selects all the name elements of the cricketer elements of the 
cricketers element that have a salary element with a value greater than 
10

No	Expression	Description
1)	node-name	It is used to select all nodes with the given name "nodename"
2)	/	It specifies that selection starts from the root node.
3)	//	It specifies that selection starts from the current node that match the selection.
4)	.	Select the current node.
5)	..	Select the parent of the current node.
6)	@	Selects attributes.
7)	cricketer	Example - selects all nodes with the name "cricketer".
8)	cricketers/cricketer	Example - selects all cricketer elements that are children of cricketers
9)	//cricketer	Selects all cricketer elements no matter where they are in the document

Path Expression	Result
/cricketers/cricketer[1]	Selects the first cricketer element that is the child of the cricketers element.
/cricketers/cricketer[last()]	Selects the last cricketer element that is the child of the cricketers element
/cricketers/cricketer[last()-1]	Selects the last but one cricketer element that is the child of the cricketers element
/cricketers/cricketer[position()<3]	Selects the first two cricketer elements that are children of the cricketers element
//cricketer[@type]	Selects all the cricketer elements that have an attribute named type
//cricketer[@type='lefty']	Selects all the cricketer elements that have a "type" attribute with a value of "lefty"
/cricketers/cricketer[salary>10]	Selects all the cricketer elements of the cricketers element that have a salary element with a value greater than 10
/cricketers/cricketer[salary>10]/name	Selects all the name elements of the cricketer elements of the cricketers element that have a salary element with a value greater than 10

XPathParser Function

Number of input and output field

Examples:

Predicates