To select the n-th XPath result using xmlstarlet select, you can use predicates in your XPath expression. The syntax is straightforward:

Basic Syntax

xmlstarlet select -t -v "xpath_expression[position()=n]" -n file.xml

• position()=n filters the result to only the n-th node.
• -t sets the output template.
• -v specifies the value to output.
• -n adds a newline after each result.

Example

Suppose you have the following XML (books.xml):

<books>
  <book>Book 1</book>
  <book>Book 2</book>
  <book>Book 3</book>
</books>

To select the 2nd <book> element, use:

xmlstarlet select -t -v "//book[position()=2]" -n books.xml

Output:

Book 2

Notes

• If you want the last element, use position()=last().
• If you want a range (e.g., 2nd to 4th), use position() >= 2 and position() <= 4.