Xpath in Odoo

Xpath is a powerful query language used to extract data from XML documents. Odoo, being based on XML, uses Xpath expressions to retrieve data from its database. In this article, we will discuss Xpath in Odoo.

Basics of Xpath

Xpath stands for XML Path Language. It is a query language used to select nodes from an XML document. Xpath expressions are used to navigate through elements and attributes in the document. The basic syntax of Xpath is as follows:

nodename[@attribute='value']

• nodename: The name of the element or attribute to select
• @attribute: The name of the attribute to select
• 'value': The value of the attribute to select

Xpath in Odoo

In Odoo, Xpath expressions are used to retrieve data from the database. The database in Odoo is stored in XML format, and Xpath is used to select nodes from the XML document. Xpath expressions are used in Odoo in many places, such as views, reports, and filters.

Examples:

Example 1: Selecting a node from a view.

<tree string="My Tree">
    <field name="name"/>
    <field name="date"/>
</tree>

In this example, we have a tree view with two fields, name and date. We can use Xpath expressions to select these fields. The Xpath expression to select the name field is:

//tree/field[@name='name']

The Xpath expression to select the date field is:

//tree/field[@name='date']

Example 2: Restricting the data in a report.

<report id="my_report">
    <template id="my_template">
        <div>
            <t t-if="o.is_published">
                <p>Published</p>
            </t>
            <t t-if="not o.is_published">
                <p>Not published</p>
            </t>
        </div>
    </template>
</report>

In this example, we have a report with a template that displays the status of a published object. We can use Xpath expressions to restrict the data that is displayed in the report. The Xpath expression to display only published objects is:

//report[@id='my_report']//template[@id='my_template'][o/is_published=True]

The Xpath expression to display only unpublished objects is:

//report[@id='my_report']//template[@id='my_template'][not(o/is_published=True)]

Conclusion

Xpath is a powerful query language used to extract data from XML documents. In Odoo, Xpath is used extensively to retrieve data from the database. Understanding Xpath can help developers write more efficient code and customize Odoo to meet their needs.