XPath: Get parent node from child node
Use the parent
axes with the parent node's name.
//*[title="50"]/parent::store
This XPath will only select the parent node if it is a store
.
But you can also use one of these
//*[title="50"]/parent::*
//*[title="50"]/..
These xpaths will select any parent node. So if the document changes you will always select a node, even if it is not the node you expect.
EDIT
What happens in the given example where the parent is a bicycle but the parent of the parent is a store?
Does it ascent?
No, it only selects the store if it is a parent of the node that matches //*[title="50"]
.
If not, is there a method to ascent in such cases and return None if there is no such parent?
Yes, you can use ancestor
axes
//*[title="50"]/ancestor::store
This will select all ancestors of the node matching //*[title="50"]
that are ` stores. E.g.
<data xmlns:d="defiant-namespace" d:mi="23">
<store mi="1">
<store mi="22">
<book price="8.95" d:price="Number" d:mi="13">
<title d:constr="String" d:mi="10">50</title>
<category d:constr="String" d:mi="11">reference</category>
<author d:constr="String" d:mi="12">Nigel Rees</author>
</book>
</store>
</store>
</data>
Just as an alternative, you can use ancestor
.
//*[title="50"]/ancestor::store
It's more powerful than parent
since it can get even the grandparent or great great grandparent
New, improved answer to an old, frequently asked question...
How could I get its parent? Result should be the
store
node.
Use a predicate rather than the parent::
or ancestor::
axis
Most answers here select the title
and then traverse up to the targeted parent or ancestor (store
) element. A simpler, direct approach is to select parent or ancestor element directly in the first place, obviating the need to traverse to a parent::
or ancestor::
axes:
//*[book/title = "50"]
Should the intervening elements vary in name:
//*[*/title = "50"]
Or, in name and depth:
//*[.//title = "50"]