XPath: Get parent node from child node

Solution 1:

Use the parent axes with the parent node's name.

//*[title="50"]/parent::store

This XPath will only select the parent node if it is a store.

But you can also use one of these

//*[title="50"]/parent::*
//*[title="50"]/..

These xpaths will select any parent node. So if the document changes you will always select a node, even if it is not the node you expect.

EDIT

What happens in the given example where the parent is a bicycle but the parent of the parent is a store?

Does it ascent?

No, it only selects the store if it is a parent of the node that matches //*[title="50"].

If not, is there a method to ascent in such cases and return None if there is no such parent?

Yes, you can use ancestor axes

//*[title="50"]/ancestor::store

This will select all ancestors of the node matching //*[title="50"] that are ` stores. E.g.

<data xmlns:d="defiant-namespace" d:mi="23">
    <store mi="1">
        <store mi="22">
            <book price="8.95" d:price="Number" d:mi="13">
                <title d:constr="String" d:mi="10">50</title>
                <category d:constr="String" d:mi="11">reference</category>
                <author d:constr="String" d:mi="12">Nigel Rees</author>
            </book>
        </store>
    </store>
</data>

Solution 2:

Just as an alternative, you can use ancestor.

//*[title="50"]/ancestor::store

It's more powerful than parent since it can get even the grandparent or great great grandparent

Solution 3:

You can use the two dots at the end of expression, too. See this example:

//*[title="50"]/..

Solution 4:

^{New, improved answer to an old, frequently asked question...}

How could I get its parent? Result should be the store node.

Use a predicate rather than the parent:: or ancestor:: axis

Most answers here select the title and then traverse up to the targeted parent or ancestor (store) element. A simpler, direct approach is to select parent or ancestor element directly in the first place, obviating the need to traverse to a parent:: or ancestor:: axes:

//*[book/title = "50"]

Should the intervening elements vary in name:

//*[*/title = "50"]

Or, in name and depth:

//*[.//title = "50"]