What are the differences between XPath and CSS selectors?

What are the differences between XPath and CSS selectors?

XPath and CSS selectors are both used to select elements in HTML documents, but they have different syntax and capabilities. XPath is more powerful for navigating complex XML structures, while CSS selectors are simpler and more widely used for styling.

Can you give me examples of when to use each?

Sure! Use CSS selectors for styling elements in a webpage, like selecting all paragraphs with a specific class. Use XPath when you need to navigate through an XML document or when the structure is complex, like selecting a specific node based on its position.

Which one is faster for web scraping?

CSS selectors are generally faster for web scraping because they are simpler and more efficient in most cases. However, XPath can be more powerful for complex queries.

Are there any limitations to using CSS selectors?

Yes, CSS selectors cannot traverse up the DOM tree or select elements based on their text content, which XPath can do. This can limit their effectiveness in certain scenarios.