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Understanding XPath, Firebug, and FirePath in Selenium

As a Selenium automation tester, you must have a solid understanding of XPath, Firebug, and Firepath. Check out the online Selenium certification course to learn more about these ideas.

What is XPath? 

XPath is a language that explains how to find and handle items in XML documents by using an addressing syntax that follows a path through the hierarchy or logical structure of the document. Similar to how we locate the Home Address in the real world by using the PostCode and House address, Selenium uses XPath to uniquely identify an element on a Web page.

What is Firebug?

An abundance of web development tools are available to you thanks to Firebug’s integration with Firefox, while you browse. Any web page can have real-time CSS, HTML, and JavaScript editing, debugging, and monitoring.

Why is it useful for a Selenium Automation Tester?

View the live source: Although Firefox offers a “View Source” window, it doesn’t actually display the HTML source once JavaScript has changed it. The HTML tab in Firebug displays the current state of the HTML.

See the highlighted changes: HTML elements are continuously added, subtracted, and changed in any JavaScript-driven website. Wouldn’t it be convenient to be able to observe precisely what, when, and where these changes occur? When modifications are made to the HTML, Firebug immediately highlights them in yellow. You can scroll into every change if you wish to keep tabs on things even more closely. You have the choice to scroll every change into view if you wish to keep an even closer eye on things.

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Understanding XPath, Firebug, and FirePath in Selenium

Locate elements with the mouse: You want to know why something on your page doesn’t quite appear right. The “Inspect” button on Firebug’s toolbar is the fastest way to acquire answers, so get ready for instant gratification. The HTML and CSS that are hiding beneath the page as you move your mouse over it will be quickly revealed in Firebug.

Publish the source: Any element’s HTML fragment, the value of its “innerHTML” property, or an XPath expression can all be copied to the clipboard by performing a right-click on the element.

How to Download FireBug?

Since FireBug is a plugin that comes with the Firefox browser, Firefox itself makes it simple to download.

  • Access More Tools by going to Tools > Web Developer.
  • It will launch a website and list every Firefox browser plugin that is currently available. Simply click the Add to Firefox button for Firebug since we need it.
  • To continue, click the Install Now option.
  • After installation is complete, press “F-12” to launch the Firebug utility. It will appear as shown.

How to use It?

The majority of the time, it is used to inspect web page elements and retrieve their XPaths.

Examine the elements: For a detailed description of how to find elements using the browser inspector, please read Finding Elements Using the Browser Inspector.

Copy XPath: The ability to copy XPath is incredibly helpful. All you have to do after using the Inspector to select an element is right-click on the element’s HTML code and choose Copy XPath. By pressing “Ctrl + V,” you can now paste the copied XPath into your test script. 

What is FirePath?

It is a FireBug addon that adds a development tool to edit, examine, and generate CSS3 selectors and XPath expressions.

Why Would a Selenium Automation Tester Benefit from FirePath?

  • Self-written XPath can be entered, and by highlighting the results on the webpage, you can verify that it is correct.
  • By selecting “Inspect in FirePath” from the context menu when you right-click on an element, you can create an XPath expression or a CSS selection for that element.
  • It provides you with the Xpath of the selected Element similar to Firebug.

How to get Firepath?

Since Firepath is an extension of Firebug, you can only install it after FireBug has been set up.

  • Select Tools > Web Developer > Get More Tools from the menu.
  • It will open a page that lists every plugin that is compatible with the Firefox browser. You must click on the Extensions link and then type “Firepath” in the Search field to access this Firepath extension for Firebug, as it was mentioned earlier. Simply click the Add to Firefox button for FirePath since we need it.
  • To continue, click the Install Now option.
  • After installation, it will prompt you to restart your browser. Click on the Restart Now button.
  • Press “F-12” to bring up the Firebug tool once it has been opened. On the same console, the FirePath will appear as follows:
Understanding XPath, Firebug, and FirePath in Selenium

How to Use FirePath?

  • Inspect Elements: For a detailed description of how to find elements using the browser inspector, please see Finding Elements with Browser Inspector. However, in contrast to FireBug, it shows the XPath of the chosen element on the console.
  • Copy XPath: This is an extremely useful method. The only thing left to do after selecting an element using the Inspector is to copy its XPath and paste it into your test script by pressing ‘Ctrl + V’. 

Difference between FireBug and FirePath

From the perspective of an automation tester, the sole distinction is that FirePath returns Relative XPath and FireBug returns Absolute XPath.

Conclusion

 These concepts need to be understood for you to be a good Selenium tester. A good online Selenium training will help you in learning these concepts.

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