What Is An "&" Command?

What in the world is an "&" command?

     Ampersand commands ("&" is pronounced "ampersand") are quite useful, especially to me. I didn’t know about them until I started to create these HTML lessons. I needed to create the characters not found on the keyboard or to make command characters show up on the page.

 

What I Mean

     Let's say you want a copyright insignia. Well, there isn't any copyright on the keyboard. That means you'll need to either create it as a graphic or use an "&" command to place it. Have you also noticed that all over the lesson pages I show HTML commands like <HTML>? Don't you find that strange seeing as if I enclose HTML in < > brackets that it shouldn't show up on the page?

     What I am doing is using an "&" command to create the greater-than and less-than sign.

 

Here's How It Works

     Your browser reads commands inside of greater-than and less-than brackets. But did you know it also reads commands inside of an "&" and ";" (semicolon) insignia? Well, it does.

     Those who create the HTML code have created a slew of these commands that sit inside of an "&" and a ";". All you need to know is the little three- or four-letter code that goes between the "&" and the ";" and you'll be placing little insignias all over your page.

 


Here They Are

     Below is a chart showing as many "&" commands as I could find. Remember: You do not place these codes inside of < and > commands. These just sit as they appear in the chart below. They always begin with an "&" and end with a ";".

     Each chart cell is set up with the "&" command, as it should appear on your page, and then what the command created below. Like so:

&copy;
©

Capitalization Counts Here!

&lt;
<
&gt;
>
&amp;
&
&quot;
"
&nbsp;
(A Space)
&Ccedil;
Ç
&ccdil;
ç
&Ntilde;
Ñ
&ntilde;
ñ
&THORN;
Þ
&thorn;
þ
&Yacute;
Ý
&yacute;
ý
&yuml;
ÿ
&szlig;
ß
&AElig;
Æ
&Aacute;
Á
&Acirc;
Â
&Agrave;
À
&Aring;
Å
&Atilde;
Ã
&Auml;
Ä
&aelig;
æ
&aacute;
á
&acirc;
â
&agrave;
à
&aring;
å
&atilde;
ã
&auml;
ä
&ETH;
Ð
&Eacute;
É
&Ecirc;
Ê
&Egrave;
È
&Euml;
Ë
&eth;
ð
&eacute;
é
&ecirc;
ê
&egrave;
è
&euml;
ë
&Iacute;
Í
&Icirc;
Î
&Igrave;
Ì
&Iuml;
Ï
&iacute;
í
&icirc;
î
&igrave;
ì
&iuml;
ï
&Oacute;
Ó
&Ocirc;
Ô
&Ograve;
Ò
&Oslash;
Ø
&Otilde;
Õ
&Ouml;
Ö
&oacute;
ó
&ocirc;
ô
&ograve;
ò
&oslash;
ø
&otilde;
õ
&ouml;
ö
&Uacute;
Ú
&Ucirc;
Û
&Ugrave;
Ù
&Uuml;
Ü
&uacute;
ú
&ucirc;
û
&ugrave;
ù
&uuml;
ü
- - - -


     Here are a few more that I found listed that are part of the HTML+ commands. That means you have to have a very high level browser to run them. I'm only listing their "&" command and writing what they should do because my guess is that on many browsers they won't work. Give 'em a try yourself. See if they fly.

&reg;
Circle R
&plusmn;
Plus/Minus sign
&micro;
Micro sign
&para;
Paragraph
&middot;
Bullet
&cent;
Cent
&pound;
Pound
&yen;
Yen
&frac14;
1/4
&frac12;
1/2
&frac34;
3/4
&sup1;
Superscript 1
&sup2;
Superscript 2
&sup3;
Superscript 3
&iquest;
Inverted Question Mark
&deg;
Degree
&brvbar;
Broken Vertical Bar
&sect;
Section sign
&laquo;
Left Quote mark
&raquo;
Right Quote mark


 Enjoy!

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