XPath Mapping

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. XPath Overview

1.1 Syntax for XPath

2. XPath Mapping 

1. XPath Overview

XPath is defined as XML path. It is a syntax for finding UI elements on a web page using the XML path expression, commonly known as a locator.

1.1 Syntax for XPath

XPath contains the path of the element situated on the web page.
The standard syntax for creating XPath is as follows:

XPath=//tagname[@attribute='value']

This expression is used to identify an element based on its tag name and a specific attribute-value pair. For more information, refer to the article on the Perfecto blog.

Note: In the automation workflow, it's essential to balance the use of both relative and absolute XPaths. However, it is recommended to use relative paths for ease of maintenance.

2. XPath Mapping 

XPath Mapping is a functionality that allows users to manage and update locators, specifically XPath expressions, associated with UI elements in an application. When there is a change in the application or if a locator is no longer effective, XPath Mapping provides a way to replace or update these locators.

For example, if the existing locator mapped in the Object repository file for an Email ID isn't working after a recent change to an application, then you can perform the following steps:

1. On the Main Canvas, navigate to the More Menu.
2.  Choose the XPath Mapping option.
   
   
3. The XPath Mapping screen appears. In this screen, click the 'cloud' icon to upload the scraped file in the CSV format or you can drag the scraped file.
   
   

   Search functionality: If you have uploaded a large CSV file and wish to search for a required UI element, you can use search functionality.

   
   Ensure to upload a CSV file with all the scraped UI element details. Otherwise, you will see the following error message:
   
4. The following screen displays existing scraped file details from the Object Repository file and uploaded re-scraped file details. In this screen, choose the appropriate UI element name in the CSV file. Select the matching UI element or elements with Control Type displayed in the Object Repository file pane, as shown in the following image.
   
   Click Remove button on the top-left corner if you wish to replace and add a new scraped file. You can also search for a particular UI element in the search bar.
   
   If you use invalid values in the search bar in the Re-scraped file details pane and Object Repository file details pane, you will see following error messages:
   
   Ensure that your search criteria are accurate and relevant to the data you're trying to retrieve.
   
   
5. Click to view the updated locator information and if you wish to remove updated locator information, then click minus icon.
    
6. Click the icon to view the changes in the Object Repository file and corresponding locator information in the Node configuration.
   
   
7. To access Object Repository file : On the Main Canvas, navigate to Edit Object Repository in the More Menu options to view the updated locator information.
   
8. To access Control List Panel window, navigate to the appropriate Node>Feature and click the Edit icon to view Control List Panel window. In this window, click the 'L' icon of the appropriate UI element to view the updated locator information.
   
   
9. In the Edit Scenario and Follow Me features, you have the option to assign an alias name to a UI element and update its associated XPath using this feature. Note that any changes you make will only affect the UI element associated with the alias name in the Edit Object Repository. The original XPath expression for the UI element remains unchanged in Node Configuration and Edit Object Repository features.
   The XPath mapping feature is specific to the UI elements name, type, and XPath expression. For example, when multiple controls share the same UI element name but different XPaths or UI element types, and if you map an XPath to one of these UI elements in the XPath Mapping feature, the XPath will be updated for that particular UI element with its specific UI element type and XPath. The XPaths of other UI elements with the same name but different XPath expressions or UI element types remain unchanged.