XPath silently ignores erroneous evaluation where a nodeset is required
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- Dominant language
- Ruby
- Stars
- 182
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- 99
- Avg merge
- 2d 23h
- Merged PRs (30d)
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Description
In XPath evaluation, some evaluated part is required to be a nodeset. If not, it should result in error.
https://github.com/ruby/rexml/pull/342#discussion_r3566072520
Examples:
# Function argument that requires nodeset
local-name(1)
sum("string")
count(1 < 2)
# Path after function that doesn't return a nodeset
# id("a")/path id("a")[predicate] is valid
string(a/b)[predicate]
string(a/b)/path
# Path after non-nodeset variable
$x[predicate]
$x/path
# Path after literal
"string"[predicate]
42/path
# Path after neg
-number(a/b)[predicate]
-number(a/b)/path
# Path after parenthesized expression
(1)[predicate]
(1)/path
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First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by tracing REXML's XPath evaluation for the listed expressions and the discussion linked in pull request #342. Check how function arguments, path expressions, variables, literals, negation, and parenthesized expressions handle non-nodeset values. Done means each example that requires a nodeset reports an evaluation error instead of being silently ignored, while the valid id() cases remain valid.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- ruby
- Domain
- backend
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 48/100