XML uses some characters as part of its markup syntax. Text containing those characters may need the appropriate entity representation to remain well formed. This is a document-format issue, not a reason to remove punctuation from programme names.
A guide title containing an ampersand can be perfectly legitimate. The question is whether the source represents it correctly in XML and whether the importer reads the intended text. Keep the visible title and the raw document spelling separate.
Identify the context
Text content and attribute values have related but context-specific rules. A character that is ordinary in a displayed title can need escaping in the raw XML. A local editor should follow XML rules rather than borrowing a replacement scheme from CSV or a playlist extension.
Do not repeatedly decode entity text by eye. A string that legitimately describes an entity can be different from a string using that entity to represent a character. The parser’s result and intended content determine whether another transformation is appropriate.
Investigate a malformed record
A global replacement of every ampersand can double-escape values that were already correct. The file might then parse while displaying literal entity text in the programme grid. Passing the syntax check is not enough; compare the intended output.
- Preserve the original private guide and exact parser error.
- Identify whether the reported location lies in text, an attribute or markup.
- Compare the character representation with XML’s rules for that context.
- Make a minimal correction only when the intended text is established.
- Parse the duplicate and inspect the resulting displayed value.
Keep embedded URLs intact
An XML attribute or text field can contain a URL whose query includes separators. The document representation and the URL’s own encoding are separate layers. Preserve the intended address through the proper XML representation rather than deleting its parameters.
If the guide comes from a maintained source, report the malformed record to its maintainer instead of maintaining an undocumented long-term fork. A temporary local correction should be recorded and revisited after the source is fixed.
A useful support example contains a harmless short title and the relevant XML context, with private resource values removed. Include the parser message and the intended displayed text. The goal is a well-formed document that preserves the programme’s actual wording, not a punctuation-free catalogue or a file that merely stops producing an error.
Useful answers
Should punctuation be removed from titles to avoid XML errors?
No. Use the correct XML representation for the intended text.
Can escaping an already escaped value cause a new problem?
Yes. It can produce literal entity text or other unintended output.
Is XML escaping identical to URL encoding?
No. They apply to different layers.