Selenium Python UnboundLocalError: local variable 'element' referenced before assignment - python-2.7

Question

I am trying to click on a span tag which contains the text "Clean feed crm"
using an XPATH locator.
I get the error:
UnboundLocalError: local variable 'element' referenced before assignment
Full error trace:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Webdriver\ClearCore\TestCases\OperationsPage_TestCase.py", line 56, in test_add_and_run_clean_process
process_lists_page.click_clean_feed_task_from_groups_tab(Globals.process_lists_clean_feed_task_crm)
File "C:\Webdriver\ClearCore\Pages\operations.py", line 90, in click_clean_feed_task_from_groups_tab
clean_feed_crm_element = self.get_element(By.XPATH, '//div[#id="operations_add_process_list_ct_groups_and_tasks"]//../span[contains(text(), "Clean feed crm")]')
File "C:\Webdriver\ClearCore 501\Pages\base.py", line 31, in get_element
return element
UnboundLocalError: local variable 'element' referenced before assignment
If i use the absolute full XPATH it works fine. The relative XPATH it shows the error.
The full absolute XPATH which works is:
(By.XPATH, 'html/body/div[2]/div[2]/div/div[4]/div/div[2]/div/div[3]/div/div[7]/div/div[3]/div/div[4]/div/div[2]/div/div[4]/div/div[3]/div/div[3]/div/div[2]/div/div[1]/div/div/div/div/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div/div[1]/div[1]/div/div/div[2]/div/div[2]/span[1]/span')
The relative XPATH which does not work is:
(By.XPATH, '//div[#id="operations_add_process_list_ct_groups_and_tasks"]//../span[contains(text(), "Clean feed crm")]')
The HTML is:
<div id="operations_add_process_list_ct_groups_and_tasks" class="GPI5XK1CDG" __gwtcellbasedwidgetimpldispatchingfocus="true" __gwtcellbasedwidgetimpldispatchingblur="true" role="tree">
<div style="overflow: hidden;">
<div>
<div>
<div aria-selected="false" role="treeitem" aria-setsize="3" aria-posinset="1" aria-expanded="true" aria-level="1">
<div class="GPI5XK1CIF GPI5XK1CAG" style="padding-left: 0px;">
<div style="overflow: hidden;">
<div>
<div>
<div aria-selected="false" role="treeitem" aria-setsize="3" aria-posinset="1" aria-level="2">
<div class="GPI5XK1CIF" style="padding-left: 16px;">
<div class="GPI5XK1CIF GPI5XK1CKF" style="padding-left: 16px;position:relative;" onclick="">
<div style="position:absolute;display:none;"/>
<div class="GPI5XK1CLF">
<div style="padding-left: 22px;position:relative;zoom:1;">
<div style="left:0px;margin-top:-8px;position:absolute;top:50%;line-height:0px;">
<img border="0" style="width:16px;height:16px;background:url(data:image/png;base64,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) no-repeat 0px 0px;" src="http://justin-pc.infoshare.local:8080/clearcore501/ClearCore/clear.cache.gif" onload="this.__gwtLastUnhandledEvent="load";"/>
</div>
<div>
<span>
<span class=" myinlineblock" title="Clean feed crm" style="white-space:nowrap;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;empty-cells:show;width:100%;margin-right:-14px;">Clean feed crm</span>
</span>
<span>
<span class="" title="Turn task off or on." style="">
<input type="checkbox" checked="" tabindex="-1"/>
</span>
</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-selected="false" role="treeitem" aria-setsize="3" aria-posinset="2" aria-level="2">
<div class="GPI5XK1CIF" style="padding-left: 16px;">
<div class="GPI5XK1CIF GPI5XK1CKF" style="padding-left: 16px;position:relative;" onclick="">
<div style="position:absolute;display:none;"/>
<div class="GPI5XK1CLF">
<div style="padding-left: 22px;position:relative;zoom:1;">
<div style="left:0px;margin-top:-8px;position:absolute;top:50%;line-height:0px;">
<img border="0" style="width:16px;height:16px;background:url(data:image/png;base64,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) no-repeat 0px 0px;" src="http://justin-pc.infoshare.local:8080/clearcore501/ClearCore/clear.cache.gif" onload="this.__gwtLastUnhandledEvent="load";"/>
</div>
<div>
<span>
<span class=" myinlineblock" title="Clean feed escr" style="white-space:nowrap;overflow:hidden;text-overflow:ellipsis;empty-cells:show;width:100%;margin-right:-14px;">Clean feed escr</span>
</span>
<span>
<span class="" title="Turn task off or on." style="">
<input type="checkbox" checked="" tabindex="-1"/>
</span>
</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
My method implementation is:
def click_clean_feed_task_from_groups_tab(self, feed):
# Params: feed: clean feed crm, clean feed escr or clean feed orchard
#clean_feed_crm_element = self.driver.find_element(By.XPATH, '//span[#class="myinlineblock" and contains(text(), "%s") % feed]')
clean_feed_crm_element = self.get_element(By.XPATH, '//div[#id="operations_add_process_list_ct_groups_and_tasks"]//../span[contains(text(), "Clean feed crm")]')
#clean_feed_crm_element = WebDriverWait(self.driver, 20).until(EC.element_to_be_clickable((By.XPATH, '//div[#id="operations_add_process_list_ct_groups_and_tasks"]//..//.//..//..//..//..//..//..//../span[contains(text(), "%s")] % feed ]')))
clean_feed_crm_element.click()
return self
From my TestCase class i call th method:
project_navigator = ProjectNavigatorPage(self.driver)
process_lists_page = project_navigator.select_projectNavigator_item("Process Lists")
process_lists_page.click_add_button_for_process_lists()
process_lists_page.click_clean_task_arrow_to_expand_it_from_groups_tab("add")
process_lists_page.click_clean_feed_task_from_groups_tab(Globals.process_lists_clean_feed_task_crm)
Globals.py is:
process_lists_clean_feed_task_crm = "Clean feed crm"
I havea also tried using WebDriverWait still the same error:
clean_feed_crm_element = WebDriverWait(self.driver, 20).until(EC.element_to_be_clickable(((By.XPATH, '//div[#id="operations_add_process_list_ct_groups_and_tasks"]//../span[contains(text(), "%s") % feed]')))
%s, % feed the value is "Clean feed crm" as I am looking for this text (passed in as a parameter into my method.
What am i doing wrong? What XPATH could i use then to click the element which has the text "Clean feed crm"?
Thanks,
Riaz

Answer 1

If we recall some elements from the XPath sintax:
The expression "//" selects nodes in the document from the current
node that match the selection no matter where they are.
The expression ".." selects the parent of the current node.
Therefore when you write:
//div[#id="operations_add_process_list_ct_groups_and_tasks"]//..
You are selecting the div node itself. From that node the relative XPath should be:
//div[#id="operations_add_process_list_ct_groups_and_tasks"]//span[contains(text(), "Clean feed crm")]
That way you select the div node with the id selected, and look inside for the span tag which contains the text.