Selenium Python: Click on element with explicit string works but not when string is replaced by variable

Question

When using the explicit text it works and the found element is clicked on but not when I use the variable:

This is the div: <div unselectable="on" class="x-grid3-cell-inner x-grid3-col-object_name">68915969-LS</div>

This works:

result = driver.find_element(By.XPATH,"//div[contains(text(),'68915969-LS')]")
action = ActionChains(driver)
action.move_to_element(result).click().perform()

When I replace '68915969-LS' by a variable nothing happens (no error, found line is not clicked on):

doc_number = '68915969-LS'
result = driver.find_element(By.XPATH,"//div[contains(text(),doc_number)]")
action = ActionChains(driver)
action.move_to_element(result).click().perform()

Any idea why?

Cheers Daniel

Answer 1

You're actually looking for "doc_number" as a string. You need to resolve your value and join it into your xpath string.

Try this:

driver.find_element(By.XPATH,"//div[contains(text(),'"+doc_number+"')]")

Answer 2

driver.find_element(By.XPATH,f"//div[contains(text(),'{doc_number}')]")

If you want you can also f string and put your variable in.

Answer 3

Thanks a lot. You're absolutly right. Somehow I struggled that the xpath is just a string... I used this one and it worked fine :

result=driver.find_element(By.XPATH,"//div[contains(text(),'%s')]"% str(doc_number))