code: def get_element(parent_to_parse, element_path=None):
      
  
      if parent_to_parse is None:
          return None
  
      elif isinstance(parent_to_parse, ElementTree):
          parent_to_parse = parent_to_parse.getroot()
  
      elif hasattr(parent_to_parse, 'read'):
          parent_to_parse = string_to_element(parent_to_parse.read())
  
      elif isinstance(parent_to_parse, STRING_TYPES):
          parent_to_parse = string_to_element(parent_to_parse)
  
      elif isinstance(parent_to_parse, dict):
          parent_to_parse = dict_to_element(parent_to_parse)
  
      if parent_to_parse is None:
          return None
      elif not isinstance(parent_to_parse, ElementType):
          element_type = type(parent_to_parse).__name__
          raise TypeError('Invalid element type: {0}'.format(element_type))
  
      return parent_to_parse.find(element_path) if element_path else parent_to_parse
docs: :return: an element from the parent or parsed from a Dictionary, XML string
      or file. If element_path is not provided the root element is returned.