# XML::DOM::EntityReference - phpMan

## NAME
    [XML::DOM::EntityReference] - An XML ENTITY reference in [XML::DOM]

## DESCRIPTION
    [XML::DOM::EntityReference] extends [XML::DOM::Node].

    EntityReference objects may be inserted into the structure model when an
    entity reference is in the source document, or when the user wishes to
    insert an entity reference. Note that character references and
    references to predefined entities are considered to be expanded by the
    HTML or XML processor so that characters are represented by their
    Unicode equivalent rather than by an entity reference. Moreover, the XML
    processor may completely expand references to entities while building
    the structure model, instead of providing EntityReference objects. If it
    does provide such objects, then for a given EntityReference node, it may
    be that there is no Entity node representing the referenced entity; but
    if such an Entity exists, then the child list of the EntityReference
    node is the same as that of the Entity node. As with the Entity node,
    all descendants of the EntityReference are readonly.

    The resolution of the children of the EntityReference (the replacement
    value of the referenced Entity) may be lazily evaluated; actions by the
    user (such as calling the childNodes method on the EntityReference node)
    are assumed to trigger the evaluation.