XPath Number

In XPath, numbers are used to represent numeric values within XML or HTML documents. They can be used in XPath expressions for various purposes, such as numerical comparisons, arithmetic calculations, and indexing.

XPath supports both integer and floating-point numbers. Here are some examples of how numbers are used in XPath:

1. Selecting Elements Based on Numeric Comparisons:

//book[price < 20]

This XPath expression selects all <book> elements that have a child element named “price” with a numeric value less than 20.

2. Using Arithmetic Calculations in XPath:

//circle[radius * 2 > 10]

This XPath expression selects all <circle> elements that have a child element named “radius,” and the result of the calculation “radius * 2” is greater than 10.

3. Selecting Elements at Specific Positions:

//book[3]

This XPath expression selects the third <book> element in the document. The position is based on the document order.

4. Using Number Functions:
   XPath provides number functions, such as sum(), round(), floor(), and ceiling(), which allow you to perform various numeric operations and manipulations.

For example:

//book[price > sum(discount, 5)]

This XPath expression selects all <book> elements that have a child element named “price” with a value greater than the sum of the “discount” value and 5.

It’s important to note that XPath will implicitly convert numeric values to strings or vice versa when needed for comparisons or concatenations. However, being aware of the data types is essential to avoid unexpected results in your XPath expressions.

Numbers in XPath are versatile and useful for handling numerical data within XML or HTML documents, and they play a vital role in creating expressive and powerful queries for data extraction and manipulation.