Reserved Characters in HTML
In HTML, certain characters are reserved for use in the markup itself. These characters must be written using special codes called HTML entities when you want to display them on a web page.
What Are Reserved Characters?
Reserved characters have special meanings in HTML and cannot be used directly as part of the content. For example:
<for the less-than symbol (used to start tags)>for the greater-than symbol (used to end tags)&for the ampersand (used to define entities)"for double quotes (used in attribute values)'for single quotes (used in attribute values)
How to Display Reserved Characters
To show reserved characters in HTML content, use character entities. These begin with & and end with ;. Here are common examples:
< -- <
> -- >
& -- &
" -- "
' -- '
Why It Matters
Using entities prevents errors and ensures that browsers interpret your content correctly. For example, trying to type a less-than symbol directly may be interpreted as a tag, breaking your page.
Conclusion
Whenever you need to include special characters in your HTML content, always use the appropriate HTML entity. This ensures your content displays properly without interfering with your markup.