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Update _index.en.md with note about using XPATH values in an ID selector #1895

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Convalytics wants to merge 1 commit into SeleniumHQ:trunk from Convalytics:patch-1

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@Convalytics Convalytics commented Aug 26, 2024 •
edited by qodo-merge-pro bot
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User description

Updated Invalid Selector Exception to note that it can also be caused when inputting an xpath value into an ID-based selector.

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Description

Additional error case noting that Invalid Selector Exception can also happen if you use XPATH with an ID selector.

Motivation and Context

I had this issue today because I changed my code to search by XPATH instead of ID, and I forgot to change the type from By.ID to By.XPATH.

Types of changes

  • Change to the site (I have double-checked the Netlify deployment, and my changes look good)
  • Code example added (and I also added the example to all translated languages)
  • Improved translation
  • Added new translation (and I also added a notice to each document missing translation)

Checklist

  • [x ] I have read the contributing document.
  • [x ] I have used hugo to render the site/docs locally and I am sure it works.

PR Type

documentation

Description

  • Added documentation to clarify that an Invalid Selector Exception can occur if an XPATH value is used as a parameter to an ID selector.
  • Improved troubleshooting guidance for users encountering selector issues.

Changes walkthrough 📝

Relevant files
Documentation
_index.en.md
Update documentation for Invalid Selector Exception causes

website_and_docs/content/documentation/webdriver/troubleshooting/errors/_index.en.md

  • Added a note about using XPATH values in an ID selector.
  • Clarified potential cause of Invalid Selector Exception.
    • +1/-0

    💡 PR-Agent usage:
    Comment /help on the PR to get a list of all available PR-Agent tools and their descriptions

     

    Updated Invalid Selector Exception to note that it can also be caused when inputting an xpath value into an ID-based selector.
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    netlify bot commented Aug 26, 2024

    👷 Deploy request for selenium-dev pending review.

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    🔨 Latest commit f2c5394

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    @qodo-merge-pro qodo-merge-pro bot added documentation Improvements or additions to documentation Review effort [1-5]: 1 labels Aug 26, 2024
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    PR Reviewer Guide 🔍

    ⏱️ Estimated effort to review: 1 🔵⚪⚪⚪⚪
    🧪 No relevant tests
    🔒 No security concerns identified
    ⚡ No key issues to review

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    PR Code Suggestions ✨

    CategorySuggestion Score
    Enhancement
    Add a concrete example to illustrate the misuse of XPATH in an ID selector

    Provide a specific example of how an XPATH value might be incorrectly used in an ID
    selector to illustrate the point more clearly.

    website_and_docs/content/documentation/webdriver/troubleshooting/errors/_index.en.md [18] 

    -This issue can also arise if you've placed an XPATH value as a parameter to an ID selector.
+This issue can also arise if you've placed an XPATH value as a parameter to an ID selector. For example, using `driver.find_element(By.ID, "//input[@name='username']")` instead of `driver.find_element(By.XPATH, "//input[@name='username']")`.
    • Apply this suggestion
    Suggestion importance[1-10]: 7

    Why: The suggestion provides a clear example that enhances understanding of the issue, improving the documentation's clarity and usefulness. However, it addresses a minor enhancement rather than a critical issue.

    		7

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    @shbenzer shbenzer left a comment

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    This should be moved into the Likely Causes subsection

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    shbenzer commented Sep 18, 2024 •
    edited
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    Thank you for the contribution @Convalytics! Before we can accept the PR a few things must be done first:

    1. Resolve the requested changes
    2. add your changes to all translations
    3. sign the Contributor License Agreement

    selenium-ci added a commit that referenced this pull request Aug 16, 2025
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