webdriver getAttribute("value") returning null even after setting the value

Pavithra

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Aug 26, 2011, 8:08:17 AM8/26/11

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Hi,

I am trying the below scenario for mail application:

1. Open the compose window
2. Identify the body element say(body_element)
3. body_element.sendKeys("This is the sample test");
4. body_element.sendKeys(Keys.Enter);
5. body_element.sendKeys("second line sample");
6. body_element.getAttribute("value")

Here, 6th steps returns null. I read that getAttribute("value")
returns the current value properly even if it is modified after the
page is loaded; so, in this I am expecting that getattribute(value)
should return me the whole value whatever I typed in; however its
returning only null.

Note: I tried just typing only one line and tried getattribute(value);
still returns null.

Any idea why this issue is happening and what is the solution for the
same.

Alternatively, I tried using body_element.getText() returns nothing
and body_element.getValue() throws exception (value attribute not
set).

Please help me out !!

Thanks,
Pavithra

Daniel Wagner-Hall

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Aug 26, 2011, 11:57:48 AM8/26/11

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Please supply a reproduction case; full HTML, javascript, and java.
Ideally reduced to the minimum required to demonstrate the problem.

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Jim Evans

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Aug 26, 2011, 1:09:11 PM8/26/11

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I could be mistaken, but I don't think IE updates the value attribute
until focus leaves the field.

On Aug 26, 11:57 am, Daniel Wagner-Hall <dawag...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Please supply a reproduction case; full HTML, javascript, and java.
> Ideally reduced to the minimum required to demonstrate the problem.
>

Pavithra

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Aug 29, 2011, 1:20:10 AM8/29/11

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Below is the html part for the body element:
Also, we could find the line "This is the test mail" (value typed in
the body). However while trying to fetch value; its not fetching.
Note: I am trying in Firefox (as of now)

<div id="ws_widget_Pane_21" class="dijitAlignClient" lang=""
dojoattachpoint="iframePane" layoutalign="client"
dojotype="ws.widget.Pane" dir="" widgetid="ws_widget_Pane_21"
style="left: 0px; top: 67px; right: auto; bottom: auto; width: 526px;
height: 63px;">
<iframe height="100%" width="100%" dojoattachevent="onload:
onIframeLoaded" allowtransparency="true" name="editor_body"
tabindex="104" src="about:blank" dojoattachpoint="iframe">
<html>
<head>
</head>
<body style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; font-family:
Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="black">
<div>
<br>
</div>
<div>
This is the test mail
<br>
</div>
<div style="clear: both;"></div>
</font>
</body>
</html>
</iframe>
</div>

Pavithra

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Aug 30, 2011, 7:12:06 AM8/30/11

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Hi,
Sorry for the confusion. Problem is when I am trying to get the
content of the iframe, I am not getting the content instead it says
"value attribute not present" for the element.

I fetched element inside the iframe and trying to do
element.getattribute("value") which throws the "value attribute not
found" exception.

Is this expected? or do we have any alternate solution for the same in
case of iframe.

Note: I am fetching the above iframe using
driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("iframe[name='editor_body']");

Sample HTML content of iframe:

</div>
<div>
hello content
<br _moz_dirty="">
how are you
<br _moz_dirty="">
<br _moz_dirty="">
adfjdj
<br _moz_dirty="">
kasjdfkljsd

Kindly help out to resolve this.

Jim Evans

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Aug 30, 2011, 10:40:57 AM8/30/11

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I think you want .getText(). If you're not using an <input> element,
it won't have a value attribute.

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Pavithra

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Sep 5, 2011, 2:03:15 AM9/5/11

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I have mentioned the html tag in the above post. Yes, it doesn't have
an <input> element; it's a div element.
So, how to fetch the value of the div element ?

Thanks,
Pavithra

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Mark Collin

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Sep 5, 2011, 4:40:35 AM9/5/11

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There is no value attribute on a div element...

Do you mean getText() ?

Thanks,
Pavithra

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Pavithra

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Sep 6, 2011, 1:16:43 AM9/6/11

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Tried even getText(), but its returning empty string.
I basically wanted the text or value.

Pavithra

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Muhil

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Sep 6, 2011, 1:19:48 AM9/6/11

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Hi ,

Did you try through JSExecutor?

Thanks,
Muhil

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Mark Collin

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Sep 6, 2011, 1:20:57 AM9/6/11

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Have you switched to the iFrame before trying to interact with elements from
it?

Pavithra

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Pavithra

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Sep 6, 2011, 6:46:22 AM9/6/11

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I didn't try out any JS executor.
I first fetched the element using css selector with iframe name and
typed the contents into it.
Then, I switched to the iframe and tried to use element.getText();
which returned the empty string.

But I got the solution now as below:
After switching to iframe; I again fetched the new element inside the
frame using xpath: //html/body (since the content is inside iframe/
html/body) and then did newelement.getText() which returned me the
content properly.

Thanks a lot for suggestions !!

Pavithra

> > > > On Aug 29, 10:20 am,Pavithra<pavi...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > > > Below is the html part for the body element:
> > > > > Also, we could find the line "This is the test mail" (value
> > > > > typed in the body). However while trying to fetch value; its not
> fetching
>
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jerald

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Sep 6, 2011, 4:51:58 AM9/6/11

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When you type some text in the field, it actually types the text and focus remains there. so getAttribute method may return null. Try clicking some where in the body and then execute getText command.
Thanks and Kind Regards
jerald

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priyadarshi Bharat

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Mar 17, 2014, 12:28:34 AM3/17/14

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Hi all,

I am having a similar problem.. ni my case i am referring to a 'Done' button on a web application where 'disabled' attribute is added after the page reloaded. The problem is that the

.getAttribute("disabled") return a null, while the HTMl is as following:

Please suggest me a solution/the reason why that happens ?

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