How to handle dynamically changing id's with similar starting name using Webdriver - regex

Question

I am automating the test for web application. I have a scenario for creating an admin, for which i have to enter the name, email address and phone number text boxes. But ids of this text boxes are dynamic.
userName, id='oe-field-input-41'
Email, id='oe-field-input-42'
phone number, id='oe-field-input-43'
First Query:
The numbers in the ids are dynamic, it keep changes
I tired to use the xpath for handling the dynamic value.
xpath = //*[starts-with(#id,'oe-field-input-')]
In this it enter the text into first text box successfully
Second Query:
I am not able use the same xpath for next two text boxes, as it enters the email and phone number into name field only
Please help me to resolve this dynamic value handling.
Edited: added the html code,
<table class="oe_form_group " cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
<tbody>
<tr class="oe_form_group_row">
<td class="oe_form_group_cell oe_form_group_cell_label" width="1%" colspan="1">
<td class="oe_form_group_cell" width="99%" colspan="1">
<span class="oe_form_field oe_form_field_many2one oe_form_field_with_button">
<a class="oe_m2o_cm_button oe_e" tabindex="-1" href="#" draggable="false" style="display: inline;">/</a>
<div>
</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="oe_form_group_row">
<td class="oe_form_group_cell oe_form_group_cell_label" width="1%" colspan="1">
<td class="oe_form_group_cell" width="99%" colspan="1">
<span class="oe_form_field oe_form_field_email">
<div>
<input id="oe-field-input-35" type="text" maxlength="240">
</div>
</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="oe_form_group_row">
<td class="oe_form_group_cell oe_form_group_cell_label" width="1%" colspan="1">
<td class="oe_form_group_cell" width="99%" colspan="1">
<span class="oe_form_field oe_form_field_char">
<input id="oe-field-input-36" type="text" maxlength="32">
</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="oe_form_group_row">
<td class="oe_form_group_cell oe_form_group_cell_label" width="1%" colspan="1">
<td class="oe_form_group_cell" width="99%" colspan="1">
<span class="oe_form_field oe_form_field_char">
<input id="oe-field-input-37" type="text" maxlength="32">
</span>
</td>
</tr>
<tr class="oe_form_group_row">
</tbody>

Answer 1

you can try alternate way for locating unique element by label or so. For example:
css=.oe_form_group_row:contains(case_sensitive_text) input
xpath=//tr[#class = 'oe_form_group_row'][contains(.,'case_sensitive_text')]//input
If you are using ISFW you should create custom component for such form fields.

Answer 2

You do have some classes which are good for identification, e.g. oe_form_field_email, oe_form_field_char. It's a little complicated to use them because they're not on the input fields themselves, and the second one is not unique; but it's quite possible:
.//span[contains(#class, 'oe_form_field_email')]//input
That is an xpath which identifies the Email field as being the input which is a descendant of a span with the oe_form_field_email class. You could also use the same logic in a css selector like this, more efficiently:
span.oe_form_field_email input
For the two other fields, there is no unique class which can tell them apart so you're going to have to rely on the order (I'm assuming username comes before phone number), and that means you have to use xpaths:
(//tr//span[contains(#class, 'oe_form_field_char')])[1]//input
(//tr//span[contains(#class, 'oe_form_field_char')])[2]//input
Those xpaths pick out the first and second fields respectively, which are inputs which are descendants of a span of class oe_form_field_char.
P.S. I used Firepath in firefox to verify the xpath and css locators.

Answer 3

The problem here is, that your XPath does the correct selection, but Selenium will always pick the first one if multiple results are returned for your query.
You can select each of the input fields directly by using:
//input[1]
//input[2]
//input[3]
If there are other input fields, you can tighten your selection by selecting only input nodes with oe-field-input in their id attribute like this:
//input[starts-with(#id,'oe-field-input-')][1]
//input[starts-with(#id,'oe-field-input-')][2]
//input[starts-with(#id,'oe-field-input-')][3]

Answer 4

Use the following xpath works like a charm. Although I don't recommend this kind of an xpath. Since we don't have text against the text box no other choice.
//div/input[contains(#id, 'oe-field-input')] - First text box
//tr[#class = 'oe_form_group_row'][2]//input - Second text box
//tr[#class = 'oe_form_group_row'][3]//input - Third text box

Answer 5

You can use below XPATH.
//tr[#class = 'oe_form_group_row'][2]//input for First Text box
//tr[#class = 'oe_form_group_row'][3]//input for Second Text box
//tr[#class = 'oe_form_group_row'][4]//input for Third text box.
I have tested avove xpath.
But the better way if you have development access then ask developers to make is standaralized and recommand tags like "name" , "value", or attach text e.g. Email:, Password. So you can use these in your xpath.