# Help locating element **URL:** \ **Category:** Robot Framework\ **Created:** [9 February 2021 18:10 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313 "2021-02-09T18:10:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![resourceful-idiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@resourceful-idiot](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/resourceful-idiot)\ **Post date:** [9 February 2021 18:10 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/1 "2021-02-09T18:10:05Z")
Hi, I want to verify that class has highlighted a table row background clicked. This is my row: `xpath=.//*[@id="my-row-0"]/td[3]/div[2]/div[1] `This is the class that is either off (not clicked) `contains(@class, 'my-graphic-link body-row not-selected')] or on contains(@class, 'my-graphic-link body-row is-selected')] ` I’m using `Wait until page contains element` after row is click but just get errors. Any help appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![hobet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/51bf81/32.png) [@hobet](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/hobet)\ **Post date:** [9 February 2021 18:30 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/2 "2021-02-09T18:30:58Z")
What are the errors you are getting? Is this using SeleniumLibrary? A web app or something else? ---
**Author:** ![damies13](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/damies13/32/623_2.png) [@damies13](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/damies13)\ **Post date:** [9 February 2021 23:05 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/3 "2021-02-09T23:05:32Z")
Hi Brendan, It’s not clear if you mean that the TD element (//_[@id=“my-row-0”]/td[3]) or the DIV element (//_[@id=“my-row-0”]/td[3]/div[2]/div[1]) is the one that gets the changed class? I would expect in a web app the class to be applied to the TD elements, but I have seen developers do some pretty wacky things. You also didn’t show your robot script so it’s a bit hard for us to know what you already have but one of these might work, i’m just guessing as there is not enough info to do anything else: `Wait until page contains element | //*[@id="my-row-0"]/td[3]/div[2]/div[contains(@class, "is-selected")]` `Wait until page contains element | //*[@id="my-row-0"]/td[contains(@class, "is-selected")]` But those will be true if any TD or DIV (depending on which you used) has the is-selected class. Another way you could approach it would be to collect the class attribute from the required element and then test the contents of the class, e.g. `${class}= | Get Element Attribute //*[@id="my-row-0"]/td[3]/div[2]/div[1]` or `${class}= | Get Element Attribute //*[@id="my-row-0"]/td[3]` Followed by a simple `Should Contain | ${class} | is-selected` Especially for the first selected item and if there is a delay between clicking a checkbox and the style being applied you might need to combine both methods, 1st wait for any element of the type your expecting to have the is-selected class, then test the specific element has the class. Hopefully this helps, Dave. ---
**Author:** ![resourceful-idiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@resourceful-idiot](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/resourceful-idiot)\ **Post date:** [10 February 2021 08:33 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/4 "2021-02-10T08:33:30Z")
Thanks for your help. I am using Selenium library and running the tests in RIDE. This is my error: ``` InvalidSelectorException: Message: invalid selector: Unable to locate an element with the xpath expression .//*[@class="my-graphic-link body-row is-selected"]/td[3]/div[2]/div[1] contains(@class, 'my-graphic-link body-row is-selected')] because of the following error: ``` SyntaxError: Failed to execute ‘evaluate’ on ‘Document’: The string ‘.//\*[@class=“my-graphic-link body-row is-selected”]/td[3]/div[2]/div[1] contains(@class, ‘my-graphic-link body-row is-selected’)]’ is not a valid XPath expression. ---
**Author:** ![resourceful-idiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@resourceful-idiot](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/resourceful-idiot)\ **Post date:** [10 February 2021 08:37 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/5 "2021-02-10T08:37:55Z")
When the user presses the table row only at that point is `is-selected`` added to the class. So my logic was that after row click search page for that class to be visible which is: ``` Click Element //*[@id="my-row-0"] Wait For Load Finish Wait until page contains element xpath=.//*[@class="my-graphic-link body-row **is-selected**"]/td[3]/div[2]/div[1] contains(@class, 'my-graphic-link body-row **is-selected**')] ``` ---
**Author:** ![damies13](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/damies13/32/623_2.png) [@damies13](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/damies13)\ **Post date:** [10 February 2021 09:51 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/6 "2021-02-10T09:51:32Z")
Hi Brendan, Are you able to show us a snippet of the html you are trying to use the xpath on before and after selecting the row? Then I might have a better idea why it’s not working for you. Dave. ---
**Author:** ![resourceful-idiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@resourceful-idiot](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/resourceful-idiot)\ **Post date:** [10 February 2021 17:34 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/7 "2021-02-10T17:34:05Z")
``` ``` The “is-selected” only shows when row clicked… so this is taken from a clicked state. ---
**Author:** ![resourceful-idiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@resourceful-idiot](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/resourceful-idiot)\ **Post date:** [10 February 2021 17:35 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/8 "2021-02-10T17:35:15Z")
I need to be able to verify that the row is still in a “highlightable” state. ---
**Author:** ![damies13](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/damies13/32/623_2.png) [@damies13](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/damies13)\ **Post date:** [11 February 2021 23:36 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/9 "2021-02-11T23:36:29Z")
can you add these 2 lines to your test case and show the result?: ```python ${class}= | Get Element Attribute //tr[@id="my-row-0"] Should Contain | ${class} | is-selected ``` I think that will work, from what you were describing earlier you were trying to check the is-selected on the td or div elements inside the tr, but it now looks like it’s the tr you needed to check Hopefully this works, Dave. ---
**Author:** ![resourceful-idiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@resourceful-idiot](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/resourceful-idiot)\ **Post date:** [13 February 2021 14:05 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/10 "2021-02-13T14:05:22Z")
Thanks, I’m getting an error when running code: ``` SyntaxError: Failed to execute 'evaluate' on 'Document': The string '//tr[(' is not a valid XPath expression. Verify Highlightable Areas Click Element //*[@id="my-row-0"] ${class}= Get Element Attribute //tr[@id="my-row-0"] Page Should Contain ${class} is-selected ``` ---
**Author:** ![damies13](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/damies13/32/623_2.png) [@damies13](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/damies13)\ **Post date:** [14 February 2021 07:04 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/11 "2021-02-14T07:04:46Z")
Hi Brendan, Are you sure that failure is on these lines? the reason I ask is the error message says ‘//tr[(’ is not valid xpath, which is true but none of these lines have the ‘(’ character, so it looks like that error is coming from somewhere else. Dave. ---
**Author:** ![resourceful-idiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@resourceful-idiot](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/resourceful-idiot)\ **Post date:** [14 February 2021 18:07 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/12 "2021-02-14T18:07:34Z")
Hi Dave, I ran the code with and without “( )” to see if it made a difference and got the same error. ---
**Author:** ![damies13](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/damies13/32/623_2.png) [@damies13](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/damies13)\ **Post date:** [15 February 2021 08:12 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/13 "2021-02-15T08:12:32Z")
Unfortunately you aren’t providing enough information for me to figure out what is going on, perhaps someone else will chime in and can help you? ---
**Author:** ![resourceful-idiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@resourceful-idiot](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/resourceful-idiot)\ **Post date:** [17 February 2021 21:52 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/14 "2021-02-17T21:52:40Z")
Hi Dave, I fixed this by using `Page Should Contain Element [(@class, ‘my-graphic-link body-row not-selected’)] and contains(@class, ‘is-selected’)] Thank you for your help, much appreciated. ` ---
**Author:** ![damies13](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.robotframework.org/damies13/32/623_2.png) [@damies13](https://forum.robotframework.org/u/damies13)\ **Post date:** [17 February 2021 21:58 UTC](https://forum.robotframework.org/t/help-locating-element/1313/15 "2021-02-17T21:58:42Z")
Great! I’m glad you solved it 👍🏼