xml - XPATH return with no child tag and child tags of specific value -

new xpath, have following xml:

<lessons>     <lesson>blah</lesson>     <lesson>blah</lesson>     <lesson>blah</lesson>     <lesson>         <a>yes</a>     </lesson>     <lesson>         <a>no</a>     </lesson>     <lesson>         <a>booyah</a>     </lesson>     <lesson>         <a>wowzer</a>     </lesson> </lessons> 

what want select lessons no <a> tag, , lessons <a> tag having text yes. others excluded.

how can accomplish this?

if description of requirement reads "return x, excluding have y", need predicate.

simply use following xpath expression:

/lessons/lesson[not(a = 'no')] 

assuming well-formed input document (yours not, because 1 of lesson elements not closed), result (individual results separated --------):

<lesson>blah</lesson> ----------------------- <lesson>blah</lesson> ----------------------- <lesson>blah</lesson> ----------------------- <lesson> <a>yes</a> </lesson> ----------------------- <lesson> <a>booyah</a> </lesson> ----------------------- <lesson> <a>wowzer</a> </lesson> 

---

cause want yes, , exclude else in no or other value

then use

/lessons/lesson[a = 'yes'] 

and result (obviously):

<lesson>   <a>yes</a> </lesson> 

---

if meant select lesson elements if not have a child element @ all, use

/lessons/lesson[a = 'yes' or not(a)] 

and result be

<lesson>blah</lesson> ----------------------- <lesson>blah</lesson> ----------------------- <lesson>blah</lesson> ----------------------- <lesson> <a>yes</a> </lesson>