Get elements using xpath

[Sudha_K]

Hi,

I need to get specific element in indesign document using xpath.  But its returning null dono why... Root element contains namespace. Whats the issue in this?? I have used the below code. Need to get section elements.

var doc = app.activeDocument;

var myRoot = doc.xmlElements.item(0);

alert("myRoot "+myRoot.markupTag.name)

var elts = myRoot.evaluateXPathExpression("*");  //

alert("elts:" +elts + "\nLength:"+elts.length) //

Thanks in advance,

Sudha K

[Ronald63]

Hi Sudha,

Try this ...

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var myRoot = doc.xmlElements.item(0);
alert("myRoot "+myRoot.markupTag.name)
var   elts = myRoot.evaluateXPathExpression("descendant-or-self::*")
alert("elts:" +elts + "\nLength:"+elts.length)

[Sudha_K]

Hi,

     Its return elements length is 0.  Did not return elements.

[nicolaik]

I think evaluateXPathExpression does not place you into the parent element as a current point of your xPath expression.

Could you modify and try this :

var doc = app.activeDocument; 
var myRoot = doc.xmlElements.item(0); 
alert("myRoot "+myRoot.markupTag.name) 
var  elts = myRoot.evaluateXPathExpression("/") 
alert("elts:" +elts + "\nLength:"+elts.length) 

[Sudha_K]

Hi,

   Sorry for late reply....

  Its also return 0. 

[Ronald63]

Hi,

You must declare the xml namespace ...

var doc = app.activeDocument;
var myRoot = doc.xmlElements.item(0);
if( !myRoot.xmlAttributes.itemByName("xmlns:xml").isValid ){
    myRoot.xmlAttributes.add( "xmlns:xml", "http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace" );
}
alert("myRoot "+myRoot.markupTag.name);
var   elts = myRoot.evaluateXPathExpression("descendant-or-self::*");
alert("elts:" +elts + "\nLength:"+elts.length);

Regards

[Designer_of_Indesign]

Dear Sudha,

var doc = app.activeDocument;  

var myRoot = doc.xmlElements.item(0);  

alert("myRoot "+myRoot.markupTag.name)  

var  elts = myRoot.evaluateXPathExpression("//body/section")  

alert("elts:" +elts + "\nLength:"+elts.length)

[Sudha_K]

Hi,

     Sorry... Its also returning 0...  I dono the problem.

[Ronald63]

You have declare xml namespace ?

if( !myRoot.xmlAttributes.itemByName("xmlns:xml").isValid ){  
    myRoot.xmlAttributes.add( "xmlns:xml", "http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace" );  
} 

[Designer_of_Indesign]

Place before myRoot element.

app.activeDocument.xmlElements.item(0).xmlAttributes.item("xml:lang").remove();

app.activeDocument.xmlElements.item(0).xmlAttributes.item("xmlns:xsi").remove();

[Ronald63]

Not a good idea to remove namespace and attribute ... It's preferable to add missing namespace.

[Kasyan Servetsky]

Use xml-rules instead of evaluateXPathExpression: they work well with namespaces (at least for me).

[Sudha_K]

Ok thank you...

[Vamitul]

Since your root seems to have only one child, the evaluateXpathExpression will return a XML with that child element, and not an XMLList.
Try:
alert("elts:" +elts + "\nLType:"+elts.nodeKind()) //

Also, i just noticed you are using "length" wrong. For xml it is a function call:

alert("elts:" +elts + "\nLength:"+elts.length())