5 Best Ways to Fetch Values from a WebElement in Selenium with Python

by

💡 Problem Formulation: When automating web browsers using Selenium with Python, developers often need to retrieve values from web elements, such as input fields, dropdowns, or any other HTML components. For instance, you might need to extract the current value of a text field (<input type=”text”>) to verify its content or use it further in your testing logic. The desired output is a variable in Python containing the value from the chosen web element.

Method 1: Using get_attribute() Method

This method is the most common way to fetch the value of a web element in Selenium. The get_attribute() function is used to retrieve the value of an attribute from the HTML element. To obtain the text value, you would typically access the ‘value’ attribute for input fields.

Here’s an example:

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get('http://example.com')
element = driver.find_element_by_id('text-input')
value = element.get_attribute('value')
print(value)
driver.quit()

Output: User input text

This code snippet initializes a Chrome WebDriver instance, loads a sample webpage, locates an element by its ID, retrieves the value of the ‘value’ attribute, and outputs it. Finally, it properly closes the driver.

Method 2: Using text Property

For non-input elements such as paragraphs, headers, and spans, you can use the text property to get the visible text contained within the element. This method is direct and intuitive for text retrieval.

Here’s an example:

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get('http://example.com')
element = driver.find_element_by_id('paragraph')
text = element.text
print(text)
driver.quit()

Output: Example paragraph text

The code creates a WebDriver instance, navigates to a webpage, and selects an element by its ID. It then fetches the visible text from the element and prints it out. At the end of the session, it quits the driver.

Method 3: Using JavaScript with execute_script()

If the previous methods don’t suit your needs or you require more complex interactions, you can execute custom JavaScript. The WebDriver’s execute_script() function allows you to run JavaScript within the context of the current page.

Here’s an example:

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get('http://example.com')
element = driver.find_element_by_id('text-input')
value = driver.execute_script("return arguments[0].value", element)
print(value)
driver.quit()

Output: User input text

The snippet opens a web page, finds a web element, and passes it to the JavaScript code being executed, which returns the value of the element. This approach can be especially powerful when dealing with complex DOM structures.

Method 4: Using get_property() Method

The get_property() method retrieves properties of the DOM element. While attributes are defined by the HTML code, properties represent the current state of the DOM. For example, for a checkbox, the property would reflect if it’s checked, regardless of the initial checked attribute state.

Here’s an example:

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get('http://example.com')
checkbox = driver.find_element_by_id('checkbox')
is_checked = checkbox.get_property('checked')
print(is_checked)
driver.quit()

Output: True or False

The example code segment finds a checkbox on the web page and retrieves the boolean value indicating whether it is checked or not. The WebDriver is then shut down cleanly.

Bonus One-Liner Method 5: Lambda Function Shortcut

For a concise one-liner, a Lambda function can be used in conjunction with get_attribute() to retrieve a value quickly. This is particularly useful for quick scripts or when you’re working in an interactive Python shell.

Here’s an example:

value = (lambda el: el.get_attribute('value'))(driver.find_element_by_id('text-input'))
print(value)

Output: User input text

This one-liner uses a lambda function to fetch the value attribute of a located element in a concise format. By immediately invoking the lambda with the web element, you obtain the value in a single line of code.

Summary/Discussion

  • Method 1: Using get_attribute() Method. Ideal for input elements. Straightforward and commonly used. May not work with non-standard attributes.
  • Method 2: Using text Property. Best for elements with visible text. Simple implementation. Not suitable for input elements with a value attribute.
  • Method 3: Using JavaScript with execute_script(). Highly flexible and powerful. Can handle complex cases. Slightly more complex implementation.
  • Method 4: Using get_property() Method. Useful to access the current state of DOM elements. More precise for dynamic properties. Might be confusing to differentiate from attributes.
  • Bonus Method 5: Lambda Function Shortcut. Quick and handy for on-the-fly retrieval. May sacrifice readability for brevity.