hello ,
i have a xml file that is written in spanish with their special characters
it looks like this :
<codigo>3F COOL100</codigo>
<codigo_2>-3F COOL100</codigo_2>
<codigo_3>3F-COOL100</codigo_3>
<codigo_4>8480000908698</codigo_4>
<grupo>ACCESORIO DE PORTATIL</grupo>
<familia>Soporte de Port�til con Ventilador</familia>
<marca>3FREE</marca>
<precio>13.95</precio>
<stock>46</stock>
<peso>0.00</peso>
<nombre>BASE CON VENTILACION PARA PORTATILES 12&quot; A 16&quot; + HUB USB 3FREE COOL100</nombre>
<descripcion>CON 3 VENTILADORES 8CM Y HUB 4P USB</descripcion>
<caracteristicas />
<imagen>http://www.desymanonline.com/fotos/art_3F%20COOL100_1.jpg</imagen>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the problem is here
<familia>Soporte de Port�til con Ventilador</familia>
if i edit the file with xml ed to change some other product from the file i end up
with

<familia>Soporte de Port&#xE1;til con Ventilador</familia>
it messes up the special characters
help

If I put that xml in a file an open it in Firefox, the &#xE1 looks like "á" (a with tick above it). According to XML to those are just 2 ways of writing the same thing. Passing the file through xml c14n also converts it to "á".

PS In your post the "á" looks like "ï" (i with 2 dots), "¿" (upside down question mark), and "½" (fraction 1/2). So &#xE1 is really a safer way of storing "á".