Python selenium send_keys not working in chrome

Question

I'm new to python coding. And I'm trying to play around with python and Selenium in chrome. And I have this code where I'm trying to move a webpage up and down. But it isn't working.

body_elem = browser.find_element_by_tag_name('body')

for __ in range(3):
    body_elem.send_keys(Keys.END)
    sleep(2)
    body_elem.send_keys(Keys.HOME)
    sleep(2)

All I get is this long error message:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "selenium_test.py", line 34, in <module>
    body_elem.send_keys(Keys.HOME)
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/lib/python3.6/site-packages/selenium/webdriver/remote/webelement.py", line 479, in send_keys
    'value': keys_to_typing(value)})
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/lib/python3.6/site-packages/selenium/webdriver/remote/webelement.py", line 628, in _execute
    return self._parent.execute(command, params)
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/lib/python3.6/site-packages/selenium/webdriver/remote/webdriver.py", line 312, in execute
    self.error_handler.check_response(response)
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.6/lib/python3.6/site-packages/selenium/webdriver/remote/errorhandler.py", line 242, in check_response
    raise exception_class(message, screen, stacktrace)
selenium.common.exceptions.StaleElementReferenceException: Message: stale element reference: element is not attached to the page document

Anybody got an idea of whats is wrong?

alecxe · Accepted Answer · 2018-04-05 21:55:59Z

1

This is most likely because of the fact that the DOM tree or the body element signature itself changed after the first "down" move. One straightforward way to approach the problem would be to "re-find" the element constantly:

for _ in range(3):
    browser.find_element_by_tag_name('body').send_keys(Keys.END)
    sleep(2)
    browser.find_element_by_tag_name('body').send_keys(Keys.HOME)
    sleep(2)

answered Apr 5, 2018 at 21:55

alecxe

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2 Comments

hbrovell Over a year ago

Great that works. But isn't that the same as using body_elem = browser.find_element_by_tag_name('body')?

alecxe Over a year ago

@user3403590 glad it worked. No, every time you issue "find element" command - there is a JSON over HTTP request sent to the "webdriver" which allows us to "refresh" the body web element instance we are working with in the Python code..

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