XPath: How to: select all children and grandchildren (regardless of depth) with the given attribute name of the current context?

Question

xml:

<root0>
    <elem1>
        <elem21 xlink:href="21"/>
        <elem22>
            <elem31 xlink:href="31"/>
            <elem32>
                <elem41 xlink:href="41"/>
            </elem32>
        </elem22>
    </elem1>
</root0>

the depth is unknown. How can I select all elements with xlink:href attribute?

I tried the following:

*[@xlink:href]
self::*[@xlink:href]

Any guidance is appreciated.

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 09 '11 at 03:09

5

For just children of grandchildren use

descendant-or-self::*[@xlink:href]

For all nodes just add // in front of your xpath

//*[@xlink:href]

Also, your xml sample is not valid but I'm guessing it is just a sample.

answered Jun 09 '11 at 03:09

cordsen

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descendant-or-self::*[@xlink:href] is my savior. Thanks cordsen. – eros Jun 09 '11 at 03:45

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 09 '11 at 03:17

0

*[@xlink:href] should work. It is most likely that you have not defined the xlink namespace.

If you post the code, then I can be more precise in my answer.

answered Jun 09 '11 at 03:17

Richard Schneider

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I can get the element of the current context which has the given attribute but not the grandchildren elements. e.g. current context: i can get: only – eros Jun 09 '11 at 03:40
it refers that * is children of the current context only not including the grandchildren. – eros Jun 09 '11 at 03:43

XPath: How to: select all children and grandchildren (regardless of depth) with the given attribute name of the current context?

2 Answers2