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What does. // mean in XPath?

I know that absolute XPath will return the checked node from the root node to the XML tree.

But I can't seem to figure out the value .//

used in XPath to check / search node.

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1 answer


.

- the current node; it is smaller for self::node()

.

//

- descendant axis; it is smaller for /descendant-or-self::node()/

.

Together .//

will select along the offspring axis, starting at the current node. Contrast this with a help //

that starts at the document root.

Example

Consider the following HTML:

<html>
  <body>
    <div id="id1">
      <p>First paragraph</p>
      <div>
        <p>Second paragraph</p>
      </div>
    </div>
    <p>Third paragraph</p>
  </body>
</html>


//p

will select all paragraphs:

      <p>First paragraph</p>
      <p>Second paragraph</p>
      <p>Third paragraph</p>

On the other hand, if the current node is in an element div

(with @id

of "id1"

), then only paragraphs under the current node will be selected .//p 

      <p>First paragraph</p>
      <p>Second paragraph</p>

Note that the third paragraph is not selected .//p

when the current node is id1

div

, because the third paragraph is not under this element div

.

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