XML Entity References
An entity reference is a group of characters used in text as a substitute for a single specific character that is also a markup delimiter in XML. Using the entity reference prevents a literal character from being mistaken for a markup delimiter For example, if an attribute must contain a left angle bracket (<), you can substitute the entity reference "<". Entity references always begin with an ampersand (&) and end with a semicolon (;). You can also substitute a numeric or hexadecimal reference. The entities predefined in XML are identified in the following table.
Character |
Entity reference |
Numeric reference |
Hexadecimal reference |
|---|---|---|---|
& |
& |
& |
& |
< |
< |
< |
< |
> |
> |
> |
> |
" |
" |
" |
" |
' |
' |
' |
' |