Xml Namespace breaking my xpath!

xml xpath xml-namespaces
Abe Miessler picture Abe Miessler · Mar 9, 2011 · Viewed 84.8k times · Source

I have the following XML:

<List xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/">
 <Fields>
   <Field>
   </Field>
 </Fields>
</List>

This is a slimmed down version of XML being returned from a SharePoint web service. I also have the following xPath:

/List/Fields/Field

When I remove the xmlns from my XML the xPath works fine. When it's in there my xPath finds nothing. Is there something I should be doing differently with my xPath? Modifying the XML is not an option.

Answer

Dimitre Novatchev picture Dimitre Novatchev · Mar 9, 2011

I also have the following xPath:

/List/Fields/Field

When I remove the xmlns from my XML the xPath works fine. When it's in there my xPath finds nothing

If you cannot register a namespace binding and cannot use (assuming the registered prefix is "x"):

/x:List/x:Fields/x:Field

then there is another way:

/*[name()='List']/*[name()='Fields']/*[name()='Field']

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