Introduction to HTML Entities

HTML entities are essential for ensuring that special characters are displayed correctly in HTML documents.
They represent characters such as <, >, &, “, and many more, which can disrupt the structure of an HTML document
if not properly encoded. This guide will introduce you to HTML entities and provide numerous examples and
explanations for using them in your HTML code.

Common HTML Entities

Here are some of the most commonly used HTML entities:

• < results in < (less than sign)
• > results in > (greater than sign)
• & results in & (ampersand)
• " results in " (double quote)
• ' results in ' (single quote/apostrophe)

Dozens of Useful API Examples

Here are some practical examples of using HTML entities in your code:

Example 1: Displaying Code Snippets

  <pre>
    &lt;div class=&quot;example&quot;&gt;Hello World!&lt;/div&gt;
  </pre>

Example 2: Handling Special Characters in Text

  <p>
    Use &amp; to represent an ampersand, e.g., AT&amp;T.
  </p>

Example 3: Using Entities in Attributes

  <input type=&quot;text&quot; title=&quot;Use &lt;, &gt;, and &amp; correctly&quot; />

Example 4: Typographic Entities

  <p>
    Copyright &copy; 2023 by Example Co. & All Rights Reserved.
  </p>

Building a Simple Web App with HTML Entities

Let’s create a simple web application that displays a form and handles user input with HTML entities:

HTML Form

  <form action=&quot;/submit&quot; method=&quot;post&quot;>
    <label for=&quot;username&quot;>Username:</label>
    <input type=&quot;text&quot; id=&quot;username&quot; name=&quot;username&quot; />
    <button type=&quot;submit&quot;>Submit</button>
  </form>

Server-Side Handling (Node.js Example)

  const express = require('express');
  const app = express();

  app.use(express.urlencoded({ extended: true }));

  app.post('/submit', (req, res) => {
    const username = req.body.username;

    // Encode special characters
    const encodedUsername = username.replace(/&/g, '&')
                                    .replace(//g, '>')
                                    .replace(/"/g, '"')
                                    .replace(/'/g, ''');

    res.send(`Hello, ${encodedUsername}!`);
  });

  app.listen(3000, () => {
    console.log('Server is running on http://localhost:3000');
  });

Conclusion

HTML entities are vital for presenting special characters correctly in web pages. By understanding and properly
utilizing these entities, you can ensure that your HTML documents are robust, well-structured, and free from errors
caused by special characters. We hope this guide has provided you with a comprehensive understanding and practical
examples to implement in your projects.

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