Q5. Compare XPath and CSS Selector in Selenium. Which one is better and why?
Answer:
Both XPath and CSS Selectors are powerful methods to locate web elements. However, they differ in syntax, performance, and browser compatibility.
Comparison Table:
| Feature | XPath | CSS Selector |
| Syntax | Complex but powerful | Simpler and shorter |
| Traverse DOM | Supports forward/backward/parent navigation | Only supports forward (no parent/sibling traversal) |
| Performance | Slightly slower in some browsers (like IE) | Faster and better in most modern browsers |
| Cross-browser Support | Not fully supported in older IE versions | Well supported across all modern browsers |
| Use Case | When complex hierarchy navigation is needed | When performance and simplicity are priorities |
Example:
- XPath: //input[@id=’username’]
- CSS: input[id=’username’] or #username
Best Practice: Prefer CSS Selectors for speed; use XPath when advanced traversal is needed.
