Tosca XPath: Locating Elements Like a Pro
π Tosca XPath: Locating Elements Like a Pro
Tricentis Tosca is a powerful test automation tool that allows users to identify and interact with UI elements. One of the most precise and flexible ways to locate elements in Tosca is using XPath.
✅ What is XPath?
XPath (XML Path Language) is a query language used to navigate through elements and attributes in XML or HTML documents. Tosca supports XPath to identify web elements during test automation.
π§ Why Use XPath in Tosca?
Precision: Target elements that can’t be found easily with default Tosca engines.
Flexibility: Use XPath to find elements based on partial matches, hierarchy, or attributes.
Fallback: Great backup when ID, name, or CSS selectors are inconsistent or missing.
π Basic XPath Syntax
XPath Syntax Description Example
//tag Selects all elements with that tag //input
//tag[@attr='value'] Element with specific attribute //button[@type='submit']
//tag[text()='text'] Element with exact visible text //h1[text()='Welcome']
//tag[contains(text(),'x')] Contains partial text //div[contains(text(),'Hello')]
//tag[contains(@attr,'x')] Contains partial attribute value //a[contains(@href,'login')]
//div[@class='x']//span Nested elements Find <span> inside a <div>
π§ͺ Using XPath in Tosca
Step 1: Scan the Application
Use Tosca XScan to scan the page where your element is located.
Step 2: Edit the Identifier
In the Tosca Module, select the element and open the Properties panel.
Change or add an XPath expression under the Identification tab.
Step 3: Insert XPath Manually
Change “Identification Method” to XPath.
Enter your XPath like:
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//input[@id='username']
π§ Pro Tips for Writing Efficient XPaths
π’ Use Unique Attributes
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//input[@name='email']
π’ Use Partial Matching
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//a[contains(@href, 'register')]
π’ Use Text When Attributes Are Missing
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//button[text()='Submit']
π’ Use Index When Necessary
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(//div[@class='product'])[3]
π΄ Avoid Absolute XPaths (brittle!)
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/html/body/div[2]/div/div[1]/button ❌
π Debug and Test XPath
Use browser DevTools (Chrome or Firefox)
Open Inspect
Press Ctrl+F (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+F (Mac)
Paste your XPath and test if it finds the right element
π§© Advanced Use in Tosca
Combine XPath with dynamic expressions and test data.
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//a[text()='${LinkText}']
Use Conditions or Loops in Tosca TBox to iterate over matched elements.
✅ Summary
Best Practice Tip
Use unique attributes Look for id, name, type, etc.
Avoid absolute paths Use relative paths for robustness
Use contains() for partial matches Useful when values are dynamic
Test XPath in DevTools Before using it in Tosca
Use dynamic data in XPath For flexible test cases
Would you like a PDF cheat sheet with the most common XPath patterns used in Tosca?
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