XPath tutorial

star *

The star * selects all elements located by preceeding path

Example 1

XPath Expression: Select all elements enclosed by elements /AAA/CCC/DDD
/AAA/CCC/DDD/*
XML:
<?xml version="1.0">
     <AAA>
          <XXX>
               <DDD>
                    <BBB/>
                    <BBB/>
                    <EEE/>
                    <FFF/>
               </DDD>
          </XXX>
          <CCC>
               <DDD>
                    <BBB/>
                    <BBB/>
                    <EEE/>
                    <FFF/>
               </DDD>
          </CCC>
          <CCC>
               <BBB>
                    <BBB>
                         <BBB/>
                    </BBB>
               </BBB>
          </CCC>
     </AAA>

Example 2

XPath Expression: Select all elements BBB which have 3 ancestors

/*/*/*/BBB
XML:
<?xml version="1.0">
     <AAA>
          <XXX>
               <DDD>
                    <BBB/>
                    <BBB/>
                    <EEE/>
                    <FFF/>
               </DDD>
          </XXX>
          <CCC>
               <DDD>
                    <BBB/>
                    <BBB/>
                    <EEE/>
                    <FFF/>
               </DDD>
          </CCC>
          <CCC>
               <BBB>
                    <BBB>
                         <BBB/>
                    </BBB>
               </BBB>
          </CCC>
     </AAA>

Example 3

XPath Expression: Select all elements

//*
XML:
<?xml version="1.0">
     <AAA>
          <XXX>
               <DDD>
                    <BBB/>
                    <BBB/>
                    <EEE/>
                    <FFF/>
               </DDD>
          </XXX>
          <CCC>
               <DDD>
                    <BBB/>
                    <BBB/>
                    <EEE/>
                    <FFF/>
               </DDD>
          </CCC>
          <CCC>
               <BBB>
                    <BBB>
                         <BBB/>
                    </BBB>
               </BBB>
          </CCC>
     </AAA>
C# code:
// BasicSyntax - /xpath/basicsyntax.cs
// Copyright 2003 by Johannes Roith

using System;
using System.Xml.XPath;

class BasicSyntax {
        static void Main() {
                
        }

}