XPath functions (contains, starts-with) in Selenium Java - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the XPath function contains() do?

The contains() function checks if an attribute or text contains a specific substring. It helps find elements with partial matches.

beginner

How does starts-with() differ from contains() in XPath?

starts-with() checks if an attribute or text begins with a specific substring, while contains() checks if it appears anywhere inside.

beginner

Write an XPath using <code>contains()</code> to find a button with class containing 'submit'.

XPath: <code>//button[contains(@class, 'submit')]</code> finds any button whose class attribute includes 'submit' anywhere.

beginner

Write an XPath using starts-with() to find an input whose id starts with 'user'.

XPath: //input[starts-with(@id, 'user')] finds input elements with id attributes beginning with 'user'.

intermediate

Why use contains() or starts-with() instead of exact matches in XPath?

They make locators flexible and robust. Web elements often have dynamic or partial attribute values, so these functions help find elements even if the full value changes.

Which XPath function checks if an attribute starts with a specific string?

A equals()

B starts-with()

C ends-with()

D contains()

starts-with() checks if the attribute or text begins with the given substring.

What does this XPath select? //div[contains(@class, 'active')]

A All divs with id containing 'active'

B All divs with class exactly 'active'

C All divs with class containing 'active' anywhere

D All divs with text 'active'

The contains() function checks if the class attribute contains 'active' anywhere.

Which XPath expression finds inputs with id starting with 'email'?

A //input[starts-with(@id, 'email')]

B //input[@id='email']

C //input[contains(@id, 'email')]

D //input[ends-with(@id, 'email')]

starts-with() matches attributes that begin with the given string.

Why are contains() and starts-with() useful in Selenium tests?

A They allow flexible element matching when attributes change

B They speed up test execution

C They replace all locators

D They only work with text nodes

These functions help locate elements even if attribute values partially change or are dynamic.

Which is a valid XPath using contains() to find a link with href containing 'login'?

A //a[contains(text(), 'login')]

B //a[starts-with(@href, 'login')]

C //a[@href='login']

D //a[contains(@href, 'login')]

contains(@href, 'login') finds links whose href attribute includes 'login'.

Explain how to use contains() and starts-with() in XPath locators with examples.

Think about partial matching of attributes or text.

Describe a scenario in Selenium testing where using starts-with() or contains() is better than exact attribute matching.

Consider web pages with changing element attributes.