Python: Selenium button click doesn't work but '\n' does

Question

Hi I have this short code snippet:

    search_box = self.browser.find_elements_by_id('main-search-box')
    search_box[0].click()
    search_box[0].send_keys('{0} {1}'.format(first_name, last_name))
    search_button = self.browser.find_elements_by_class_name('search-button')
    search_button[0].click()

It used to work but today it suddenly stopped working, it is as the button is not clicked. I changed it to:

    search_box = self.browser.find_elements_by_id('main-search-box')
    search_box[0].click()
    search_box[0].send_keys('{0} {1}'.format(first_name, last_name))
    search_box[0].send_keys('\n')

And now it works fine. What could be the reason for the original code to not work anymore?

P.S I'm searching on LinkedIn using selenium and PhantomJS.

Oleksii Dniprovskyi · Answer 1 · 2016-12-24T01:39:25.677

0

It's happening because in search_box[0].send_keys('\n') so '\n' string gets recognized as the new line! Usually, to go to the next line we press ENTER button =). Basically, '\n' is the standard ASCII newline, while KEY_ENTER represents a keyboard code. Enjoy=)

edited Dec 24 '16 at 01:39

answered Dec 24 '16 at 01:26

Oleksii Dniprovskyi

135
12

I understood why the second way worked. I wanted to know why the first one stopped working. Thanks anyway. – Bob Sacamano Dec 24 '16 at 07:04
Try the first version again, cuz I do not see anything bad in there! Also, if can catch something in `console`, add to post! – Oleksii Dniprovskyi Dec 24 '16 at 16:45

Python: Selenium button click doesn't work but '\n' does

1 Answers1