GUIDE深度 · Deep dive
Named vs Numeric Entities
Named entities (&) are readable; numeric entities (& or &) are more universal. HTML5 supports many named entities; XML supports only a few predefined ones, so numeric entities are common across XML.
Three forms
Named: &, <, ".
Decimal: &, <.
Hex: &, <.
Choosing
Named entities are more readable in HTML; numeric entities are safer in XML and cross-system data.
Numeric entities work for Chinese, but direct UTF-8 is clearer.
FAQ
Are & and & the same?
They display the same, but a literal & in source must be & to be valid.
Do numeric entities need a semicolon?
Yes; omitting it can misparse.