XPath 'following', 'preceding' method equivalent in CSS selecor selenium

Question

I am converting my project element library from xpath to CSS. Some xpath expression written using 'following' and 'preceding' method. Like below.

//div[@id='dashboard_right_now']/following::a[contains(@href, 'edit')][text() = 'Posts']

Now I want to convert same expression with equivalent CSS. I searched google around and found "+" operator used as 'following' in CSS. But firepath tools gives "no node matched" error.

div#dashboard_right_now>div.inside>div>p + a[href*='edit']

Any suggestion on how to incorporate 'following' and 'preceding' methods in css selector. Thanks

• Tarun: css does not allow to navigate back in dom tree, hence there is no corresponding method for preceding in css. On another note, expression looks very long and prone to errors when application changes.
• Guruswamy B M: Understand, expression bit log. So how about 'following' method? this method also not allowed in CSS?
• lauda: Have you tried to change the selectors format, to see if you can get the elements without using the following/preceding? please post html snippets if possible for each case for a more particular answer.

Answer 1

Please consider the following advice:

preceding:

• css selector currently does not support traverse backwards, it may be supported in the future.

following:

• Element E1 following some sibling E2, css = E2+E1
• Element E1 following sibling E2 with one element in between, css = E2+ * + E1
• Some element immediately following E, css = E + *