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# Element Location Strategies
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The By class provides various strategies for locating elements in the DOM, including ID-based, CSS selector, XPath, and text-based searches.
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## Capabilities
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### By Class
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Abstract factory class providing static methods for creating element locator strategies.
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```java { .api }
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/**
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 * By abstract class for element location strategies
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 * Provides static factory methods for different locator types
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 */
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abstract class By {
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    /**
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     * Locate element by ID attribute
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     * @param id - Element ID value
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     * @return By locator for ID-based search
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     */
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    static By id(String id);
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    /**
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     * Locate element by name attribute
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     * @param name - Element name value
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     * @return By locator for name-based search
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     */
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    static By name(String name);
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    /**
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     * Locate element by CSS class name
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     * @param className - CSS class name (single class only)
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     * @return By locator for class-based search
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     */
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    static By className(String className);
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    /**
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     * Locate element by HTML tag name
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     * @param tagName - HTML tag name (e.g., "div", "input", "button")
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     * @return By locator for tag-based search
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     */
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    static By tagName(String tagName);
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    /**
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     * Locate element by XPath expression
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     * @param xpathExpression - XPath query string
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     * @return By locator for XPath-based search
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     */
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    static By xpath(String xpathExpression);
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    /**
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     * Locate element by CSS selector
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     * @param cssSelector - CSS selector string
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     * @return By locator for CSS selector-based search
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     */
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    static By cssSelector(String cssSelector);
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    /**
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     * Locate link element by exact link text
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     * @param linkText - Exact text content of the link
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     * @return By locator for link text search
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     */
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    static By linkText(String linkText);
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    /**
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     * Locate link element by partial link text
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     * @param partialLinkText - Partial text content of the link
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     * @return By locator for partial link text search
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     */
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    static By partialLinkText(String partialLinkText);
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}
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```
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## Locator Strategy Examples
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### ID-Based Location
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Most reliable and fastest locator strategy when unique IDs are available.
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```java
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// Locate by ID attribute
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WebElement loginButton = driver.findElement(By.id("loginBtn"));
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WebElement usernameField = driver.findElement(By.id("username"));
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WebElement errorMessage = driver.findElement(By.id("error-msg"));
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// Multiple elements (rare with ID, but possible with invalid HTML)
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List<WebElement> elementsWithSameId = driver.findElements(By.id("duplicateId"));
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```
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### Name-Based Location
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Useful for form elements with name attributes.
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```java
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// Form elements by name
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WebElement emailField = driver.findElement(By.name("email"));
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WebElement passwordField = driver.findElement(By.name("password"));
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WebElement newsletterCheckbox = driver.findElement(By.name("newsletter"));
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// Radio button groups
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List<WebElement> genderOptions = driver.findElements(By.name("gender"));
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for (WebElement option : genderOptions) {
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    if (option.getAttribute("value").equals("female")) {
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        option.click();
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        break;
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    }
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}
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```
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### CSS Class-Based Location
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Locate elements by CSS class name (single class only).
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```java
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// Single class name
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WebElement submitButton = driver.findElement(By.className("btn-primary"));
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WebElement errorDiv = driver.findElement(By.className("error-message"));
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// Find multiple elements with same class
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List<WebElement> menuItems = driver.findElements(By.className("nav-item"));
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List<WebElement> productCards = driver.findElements(By.className("product-card"));
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```
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### Tag Name-Based Location
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Locate elements by HTML tag name, useful for finding all elements of a type.
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```java
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// Find elements by tag
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List<WebElement> allInputs = driver.findElements(By.tagName("input"));
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List<WebElement> allLinks = driver.findElements(By.tagName("a"));
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List<WebElement> allImages = driver.findElements(By.tagName("img"));
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WebElement firstHeading = driver.findElement(By.tagName("h1"));
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// Within a specific parent
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WebElement form = driver.findElement(By.id("contactForm"));
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List<WebElement> formInputs = form.findElements(By.tagName("input"));
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```
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### XPath-Based Location
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Powerful but potentially slow locator using XPath expressions.
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```java
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// Simple XPath
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WebElement button = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//button[@type='submit']"));
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WebElement input = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//input[@name='username']"));
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// XPath with text content
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WebElement link = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//a[text()='Click Here']"));
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WebElement header = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//h1[contains(text(), 'Welcome')]"));
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// XPath with parent/child relationships
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WebElement tableCell = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//table[@id='data']/tbody/tr[2]/td[3]"));
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WebElement lastListItem = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//ul[@class='menu']/li[last()]"));
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// XPath with multiple conditions
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WebElement complexElement = driver.findElement(
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    By.xpath("//div[@class='product' and @data-price > '100']//button[text()='Buy Now']")
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);
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// XPath with following/preceding siblings
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WebElement nextSibling = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//label[text()='Email:']/following-sibling::input"));
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WebElement previousElement = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//button[@id='submit']/preceding-sibling::input"));
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// XPath with contains and attributes
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List<WebElement> elements = driver.findElements(
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    By.xpath("//div[contains(@class, 'product') and contains(@data-category, 'electronics')]")
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);
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```
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### CSS Selector-Based Location
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Modern and efficient locator using CSS selector syntax.
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```java
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// Basic CSS selectors
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WebElement elementById = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("#loginForm"));
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WebElement elementByClass = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector(".btn-primary"));
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WebElement elementByTag = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("input"));
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// Attribute selectors
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WebElement inputByType = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("input[type='email']"));
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WebElement linkByHref = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("a[href='https://example.com']"));
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WebElement elementByDataAttr = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("div[data-testid='user-profile']"));
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// Descendant and child selectors
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WebElement nestedElement = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("form#login input[name='username']"));
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WebElement directChild = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("nav > ul > li:first-child"));
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// Pseudo-selectors
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WebElement firstChild = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("ul li:first-child"));
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WebElement lastChild = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("ul li:last-child"));
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WebElement nthChild = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("tr:nth-child(3)"));
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WebElement evenRows = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("tr:nth-child(even)"));
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// Partial attribute matching
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WebElement partialClass = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("div[class*='product']"));
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WebElement startsWith = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("input[id^='user']"));
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WebElement endsWith = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("img[src$='.png']"));
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// Multiple selectors
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List<WebElement> multipleSelectors = driver.findElements(
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    By.cssSelector("input[type='text'], input[type='email'], textarea")
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);
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```
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### Link Text-Based Location
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Specialized locators for anchor elements based on their text content.
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```java
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// Exact link text
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WebElement homeLink = driver.findElement(By.linkText("Home"));
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WebElement loginLink = driver.findElement(By.linkText("Login"));
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WebElement logoutLink = driver.findElement(By.linkText("Logout"));
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// Partial link text (useful for dynamic or long link text)
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WebElement downloadLink = driver.findElement(By.partialLinkText("Download"));
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WebElement readMoreLink = driver.findElement(By.partialLinkText("Read More"));
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WebElement productLink = driver.findElement(By.partialLinkText("iPhone"));
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// Case sensitivity considerations
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try {
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    WebElement link1 = driver.findElement(By.linkText("CONTACT US"));
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    WebElement link2 = driver.findElement(By.linkText("Contact Us"));
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    // These may find different elements or throw NoSuchElementException
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} catch (NoSuchElementException e) {
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    // Handle case where exact text doesn't match
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}
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// Finding all links with partial text
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List<WebElement> productLinks = driver.findElements(By.partialLinkText("Product"));
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```
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## Best Practices and Strategy Selection
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### Locator Priority and Recommendations
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```java
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// 1. ID - Most reliable and fastest (when available and unique)
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WebElement element1 = driver.findElement(By.id("unique-id"));
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// 2. Name - Good for form elements
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WebElement element2 = driver.findElement(By.name("fieldName"));
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// 3. CSS Selector - Modern, flexible, and readable
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WebElement element3 = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("input[data-testid='username']"));
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// 4. Link Text - Good for navigation links
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WebElement element4 = driver.findElement(By.linkText("Contact Us"));
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// 5. Class Name - Use with caution (ensure uniqueness)
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WebElement element5 = driver.findElement(By.className("unique-class"));
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// 6. XPath - Powerful but can be fragile and slow
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WebElement element6 = driver.findElement(By.xpath("//button[text()='Submit']"));
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// 7. Tag Name - Usually for finding multiple elements
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List<WebElement> elements7 = driver.findElements(By.tagName("input"));
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```
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### Robust Locator Patterns
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```java
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// Use data attributes for test automation
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WebElement testElement = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("[data-testid='submit-button']"));
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// Combine multiple attributes for uniqueness
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WebElement specificButton = driver.findElement(
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    By.cssSelector("button[type='submit'][class*='primary']")
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);
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// Use partial matching for dynamic content
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WebElement dynamicElement = driver.findElement(
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    By.cssSelector("div[id^='generated-'][class$='-container']")
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);
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// Create reusable locator methods
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public By buttonByText(String text) {
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    return By.xpath("//button[normalize-space(text())='" + text + "']");
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}
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public By inputByPlaceholder(String placeholder) {
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    return By.cssSelector("input[placeholder='" + placeholder + "']");
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}
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// Usage
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WebElement submitBtn = driver.findElement(buttonByText("Submit"));
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WebElement emailInput = driver.findElement(inputByPlaceholder("Enter your email"));
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```
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### Error Handling and Fallback Strategies
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```java
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// Try multiple locator strategies
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public WebElement findElementWithFallback(WebDriver driver, String id, String className, String xpath) {
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    try {
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        return driver.findElement(By.id(id));
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    } catch (NoSuchElementException e1) {
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        try {
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            return driver.findElement(By.className(className));
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        } catch (NoSuchElementException e2) {
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            return driver.findElement(By.xpath(xpath));
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        }
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    }
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}
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// Check element existence before interaction
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public boolean isElementPresent(WebDriver driver, By locator) {
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    try {
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        driver.findElement(locator);
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        return true;
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    } catch (NoSuchElementException e) {
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        return false;
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    }
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}
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// Wait for element with multiple locators
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public WebElement waitForAnyElement(WebDriver driver, Duration timeout, By... locators) {
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    WebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, timeout);
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    for (By locator : locators) {
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        try {
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            return wait.until(ExpectedConditions.presenceOfElementLocated(locator));
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        } catch (TimeoutException e) {
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            // Continue to next locator
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        }
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    }
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    throw new NoSuchElementException("None of the provided locators found an element");
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}
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```
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### Relative Locators
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Modern spatial locator strategy for finding elements relative to other elements.
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```java { .api }
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/**
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 * RelativeLocator class for spatial element location
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 * Allows finding elements based on their position relative to other elements
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 */
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class RelativeLocator {
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    /**
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     * Create relative locator starting with a base locator
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     * @param by - Base locator strategy
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     * @return RelativeBy instance for chaining spatial relationships
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     */
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    static RelativeBy with(By by);
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}
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/**
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 * RelativeBy class for chaining spatial relationships
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 */
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class RelativeBy extends By {
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    /**
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     * Find element above the reference element
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     * @param element - Reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy above(WebElement element);
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    /**
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     * Find element above the located reference element
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     * @param locator - Locator for reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy above(By locator);
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    /**
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     * Find element below the reference element
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     * @param element - Reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy below(WebElement element);
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    /**
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     * Find element below the located reference element
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     * @param locator - Locator for reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy below(By locator);
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    /**
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     * Find element to the left of the reference element
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     * @param element - Reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy toLeftOf(WebElement element);
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    /**
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     * Find element to the left of the located reference element
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     * @param locator - Locator for reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy toLeftOf(By locator);
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    /**
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     * Find element to the right of the reference element
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     * @param element - Reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy toRightOf(WebElement element);
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    /**
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     * Find element to the right of the located reference element
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     * @param locator - Locator for reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy toRightOf(By locator);
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    /**
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     * Find element near the reference element (within 50 pixels)
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     * @param element - Reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy near(WebElement element);
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    /**
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     * Find element near the located reference element
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     * @param locator - Locator for reference element
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     * @return RelativeBy for further chaining
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     */
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    RelativeBy near(By locator);
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}
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```
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**Usage Examples:**
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```java
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import static org.openqa.selenium.support.locators.RelativeLocator.with;
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// Find element above another element
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WebElement passwordField = driver.findElement(with(By.tagName("input"))
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    .above(By.id("login-button")));
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// Find element to the right of another element
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WebElement submitButton = driver.findElement(with(By.tagName("button"))
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    .toRightOf(By.id("cancel-button")));
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// Find element below and to the right of another element (chaining)
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WebElement errorMessage = driver.findElement(with(By.className("error"))
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    .below(By.id("email-field"))
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    .toRightOf(By.id("password-field")));
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// Find element near another element
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WebElement helpIcon = driver.findElement(with(By.className("help-icon"))
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    .near(By.id("complex-field")));
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// Multiple spatial relationships
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WebElement specificElement = driver.findElement(with(By.tagName("span"))
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    .above(driver.findElement(By.id("footer")))
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    .below(driver.findElement(By.id("header")))
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    .toRightOf(driver.findElement(By.className("sidebar"))));
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```