search
HomeBackend DevelopmentPython TutorialDetailed explanation of the basic use of xpath in python crawler

This article mainly introduces the basic use of xpath in python crawler. Now I will share it with you and give you a reference. Let’s take a look together

1. Introduction

XPath is a language for finding information in XML documents. XPath can be used to traverse elements and attributes in XML documents. XPath is a major element of the W3C XSLT standard, and both XQuery and XPointer are built on XPath expressions.

2. Installation

##

pip3 install lxml

##3 , use 1, import

from lxml import etree

2, basically use

from lxml import etree
wb_data = """
    <p>
      <ul>
         <li class="item-0"><a href="link1.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >first item</a></li>

         <li class="item-1"><a href="link2.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >second item</a></li>

         <li class="item-inactive"><a href="link3.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >third item</a></li>

         <li class="item-1"><a href="link4.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >fourth item</a></li>

         <li class="item-0"><a href="link5.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >fifth item</a>
       </ul>
     </p>

    """
html = etree.HTML(wb_data)
print(html)
result = etree.tostring(html)
print(result.decode("utf-8"))

Judging from the results below, our printer html is actually a python object, and etree.tostring(html) is the basic writing method of incomplete html, which completes the label that is missing arms and legs.


 <Element html at 0x39e58f0>
<html><body><p>
      <ul>
         <li class="item-0"><a href="link1.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >first item</a></li>

         <li class="item-1"><a href="link2.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >second item</a></li>

         <li class="item-inactive"><a href="link3.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >third item</a></li>

         <li class="item-1"><a href="link4.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >fourth item</a></li>

         <li class="item-0"><a href="link5.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >fifth item</a>

       </li></ul>
     </p>
    </body></html>

3. Get the content of a certain tag (basic use). Note that to get all the content of the a tag, there is no need to add a after it. Forward slash, otherwise an error will be reported.

Writing method one


html = etree.HTML(wb_data)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;/html/body/p/ul/li/a&#39;)

print(html)

for i in html_data:

  print(i.text)

<Element html at 0x12fe4b8>

first item

second item

third item

fourth item

fifth item

Writing method two (just add a /text() directly after the tag where you need to find the content)

html = etree.HTML(wb_data)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;/html/body/p/ul/li/a/text()&#39;)

print(html)

for i in html_data:

  print(i) 

<Element html at 0x138e4b8>

first item

second item

third item

fourth item

fifth item

4. Open and read the html file


#使用parse打开html的文件

html = etree.parse(&#39;test.html&#39;)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;//*&#39;)<br>#打印是一个列表,需要遍历

print(html_data)

for i in html_data:

  print(i.text)

##

html = etree.parse(&#39;test.html&#39;)

html_data = etree.tostring(html,pretty_print=True)

res = html_data.decode(&#39;utf-8&#39;)

print(res)

 

打印:

<p>

   <ul>

     <li class="item-0"><a href="link1.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >first item</a></li>

     <li class="item-1"><a href="link2.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >second item</a></li>

     <li class="item-inactive"><a href="link3.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >third item</a></li>

     <li class="item-1"><a href="link4.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >fourth item</a></li>

     <li class="item-0"><a href="link5.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >fifth item</a></li>

   </ul>

</p>

5. Print the attributes of a tag under the specified path (you can get the value of an attribute by traversing and find the content of the tag)


html = etree.HTML(wb_data)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;/html/body/p/ul/li/a/@href&#39;)

for i in html_data:

  print(i)

Print:

link1.html

link2.html

link3.html

link4.html

link5.html

6. We know that we use xpath to get ElementTree objects one by one, so if we need to find the content, we need to traverse to get the data. list.

It is found that the a tag attribute under the absolute path is equal to link2.html.

html = etree.HTML(wb_data)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;/html/body/p/ul/li/a[@href="link2.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" ]/text()&#39;)

print(html_data)

for i in html_data:

  print(i)

Print:

['second item']

second item

7. Above we find all absolute paths (each one is searched from the root), below we find relative paths, for example, find the a tag content under all li tags.

html = etree.HTML(wb_data)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;//li/a/text()&#39;)

print(html_data)

for i in html_data:

  print(i)

Print:

['first item', 'second item', 'third item', 'fourth item' , 'fifth item']

first item

second item

third item

fourth item

fifth item

8. Above we used the absolute path to find all the attributes of the a tag that are equal to the href attribute value. We used /---absolute path. Next we use the relative path to find the li tag under the l relative path. The value of the href attribute under the a tag. Note that double // is required after the a tag.

html = etree.HTML(wb_data)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;//li/a//@href&#39;)

print(html_data)

for i in html_data:

  print(i)

Print:

['link1.html', 'link2.html', 'link3.html', ' link4.html', 'link5.html']

link1.html

link2.html

link3.html

link4.html

link5.html

9. The methods of checking specific attributes under relative paths are similar to those under absolute paths, or they can be said to be the same.

html = etree.HTML(wb_data)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;//li/a[@href="link2.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" ]&#39;)

print(html_data)

for i in html_data:

  print(i.text)

Print:

[]

second item

10. Find the href attribute of the a tag in the last li tag

html = etree.HTML(wb_data)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;//li[last()]/a/text()&#39;)

print(html_data)

for i in html_data:

  print(i)

Print:

['fifth item']

fifth item

11. Find the href attribute of the a tag in the penultimate li tag

html = etree.HTML(wb_data)

html_data = html.xpath(&#39;//li[last()-1]/a/text()&#39;)

print(html_data)

for i in html_data:

  print(i)

Print:

['fourth item']

fourth item

12. If you are extracting a page If the xpath path of a certain tag is as follows:

//*[@id="kw"]

Explanation: Use relative paths to find all tags whose attribute id is equal to kw.

Commonly used


#!/usr/bin/env python
# -*- coding:utf-8 -*-
from scrapy.selector import Selector, HtmlXPathSelector
from scrapy.http import HtmlResponse
html = """<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head lang="en">
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <title></title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <ul>
      <li class="item-"><a id=&#39;i1&#39; href="link.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >first item</a></li>
      <li class="item-0"><a id=&#39;i2&#39; href="llink.html" rel="external nofollow" >first item</a></li>
      <li class="item-1"><a href="llink2.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >second item<span>vv</span></a></li>
    </ul>
    <p><a href="llink2.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" >second item</a></p>
  </body>
</html>
"""
response = HtmlResponse(url=&#39;http://example.com&#39;, body=html,encoding=&#39;utf-8&#39;)
# hxs = HtmlXPathSelector(response)
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a&#39;)
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a[2]&#39;)
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a[@id]&#39;)
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a[@id="i1"]&#39;)
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a[@href="link.html" rel="external nofollow" rel="external nofollow" ][@id="i1"]&#39;)
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a[contains(@href, "link")]&#39;)
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a[starts-with(@href, "link")]&#39;)
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a[re:test(@id, "i\d+")]&#39;)
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a[re:test(@id, "i\d+")]/text()&#39;).extract()
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//a[re:test(@id, "i\d+")]/@href&#39;).extract()
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;/html/body/ul/li/a/@href&#39;).extract()
# print(hxs)
# hxs = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//body/ul/li/a/@href&#39;).extract_first()
# print(hxs)
 
# ul_list = Selector(response=response).xpath(&#39;//body/ul/li&#39;)
# for item in ul_list:
#   v = item.xpath(&#39;./a/span&#39;)
#   # 或
#   # v = item.xpath(&#39;a/span&#39;)
#   # 或
#   # v = item.xpath(&#39;*/a/span&#39;)
#   print(v)

Related recommendations:


Summary of two methods for python crawlers to use real browsers to open web pages


##

The above is the detailed content of Detailed explanation of the basic use of xpath in python crawler. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

Statement
The content of this article is voluntarily contributed by netizens, and the copyright belongs to the original author. This site does not assume corresponding legal responsibility. If you find any content suspected of plagiarism or infringement, please contact admin@php.cn
Python and Time: Making the Most of Your Study TimePython and Time: Making the Most of Your Study TimeApr 14, 2025 am 12:02 AM

To maximize the efficiency of learning Python in a limited time, you can use Python's datetime, time, and schedule modules. 1. The datetime module is used to record and plan learning time. 2. The time module helps to set study and rest time. 3. The schedule module automatically arranges weekly learning tasks.

Python: Games, GUIs, and MorePython: Games, GUIs, and MoreApr 13, 2025 am 12:14 AM

Python excels in gaming and GUI development. 1) Game development uses Pygame, providing drawing, audio and other functions, which are suitable for creating 2D games. 2) GUI development can choose Tkinter or PyQt. Tkinter is simple and easy to use, PyQt has rich functions and is suitable for professional development.

Python vs. C  : Applications and Use Cases ComparedPython vs. C : Applications and Use Cases ComparedApr 12, 2025 am 12:01 AM

Python is suitable for data science, web development and automation tasks, while C is suitable for system programming, game development and embedded systems. Python is known for its simplicity and powerful ecosystem, while C is known for its high performance and underlying control capabilities.

The 2-Hour Python Plan: A Realistic ApproachThe 2-Hour Python Plan: A Realistic ApproachApr 11, 2025 am 12:04 AM

You can learn basic programming concepts and skills of Python within 2 hours. 1. Learn variables and data types, 2. Master control flow (conditional statements and loops), 3. Understand the definition and use of functions, 4. Quickly get started with Python programming through simple examples and code snippets.

Python: Exploring Its Primary ApplicationsPython: Exploring Its Primary ApplicationsApr 10, 2025 am 09:41 AM

Python is widely used in the fields of web development, data science, machine learning, automation and scripting. 1) In web development, Django and Flask frameworks simplify the development process. 2) In the fields of data science and machine learning, NumPy, Pandas, Scikit-learn and TensorFlow libraries provide strong support. 3) In terms of automation and scripting, Python is suitable for tasks such as automated testing and system management.

How Much Python Can You Learn in 2 Hours?How Much Python Can You Learn in 2 Hours?Apr 09, 2025 pm 04:33 PM

You can learn the basics of Python within two hours. 1. Learn variables and data types, 2. Master control structures such as if statements and loops, 3. Understand the definition and use of functions. These will help you start writing simple Python programs.

How to teach computer novice programming basics in project and problem-driven methods within 10 hours?How to teach computer novice programming basics in project and problem-driven methods within 10 hours?Apr 02, 2025 am 07:18 AM

How to teach computer novice programming basics within 10 hours? If you only have 10 hours to teach computer novice some programming knowledge, what would you choose to teach...

How to avoid being detected by the browser when using Fiddler Everywhere for man-in-the-middle reading?How to avoid being detected by the browser when using Fiddler Everywhere for man-in-the-middle reading?Apr 02, 2025 am 07:15 AM

How to avoid being detected when using FiddlerEverywhere for man-in-the-middle readings When you use FiddlerEverywhere...

See all articles

Hot AI Tools

Undresser.AI Undress

Undresser.AI Undress

AI-powered app for creating realistic nude photos

AI Clothes Remover

AI Clothes Remover

Online AI tool for removing clothes from photos.

Undress AI Tool

Undress AI Tool

Undress images for free

Clothoff.io

Clothoff.io

AI clothes remover

AI Hentai Generator

AI Hentai Generator

Generate AI Hentai for free.

Hot Article

R.E.P.O. Energy Crystals Explained and What They Do (Yellow Crystal)
4 weeks agoBy尊渡假赌尊渡假赌尊渡假赌
R.E.P.O. Best Graphic Settings
4 weeks agoBy尊渡假赌尊渡假赌尊渡假赌
R.E.P.O. How to Fix Audio if You Can't Hear Anyone
4 weeks agoBy尊渡假赌尊渡假赌尊渡假赌
WWE 2K25: How To Unlock Everything In MyRise
1 months agoBy尊渡假赌尊渡假赌尊渡假赌

Hot Tools

SublimeText3 Chinese version

SublimeText3 Chinese version

Chinese version, very easy to use

SublimeText3 Mac version

SublimeText3 Mac version

God-level code editing software (SublimeText3)

SecLists

SecLists

SecLists is the ultimate security tester's companion. It is a collection of various types of lists that are frequently used during security assessments, all in one place. SecLists helps make security testing more efficient and productive by conveniently providing all the lists a security tester might need. List types include usernames, passwords, URLs, fuzzing payloads, sensitive data patterns, web shells, and more. The tester can simply pull this repository onto a new test machine and he will have access to every type of list he needs.

Dreamweaver Mac version

Dreamweaver Mac version

Visual web development tools

PhpStorm Mac version

PhpStorm Mac version

The latest (2018.2.1) professional PHP integrated development tool