title: SQL - LPX-00242: invalid use of ampersand ('&') character (use &amp;)
body: <p>I'm trying to run the below sql query.              </p>
  
  <pre><code>SELECT sr.resultid, xt2.*
  FROM   RESULTS sr,
         XMLTABLE('/extraInfo/resultsViewData'
             PASSING XMLType(sr.extrainfo)
             COLUMNS 
                 docketNumber    VARCHAR2(35)  PATH 'docketNumber',
                 dateFiled       VARCHAR2(35)  PATH 'dateFiled',
                 nosDescription  VARCHAR2(70)  PATH 'nosDescription',
                 courtname       VARCHAR2(100) PATH 'courtname',
                 chapter         VARCHAR2(35)  PATH 'chapter'
         ) xt2 
  WHERE  sr.profileId = '7dd76222';
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>NOTE: <code>sr.extrainfo</code> has the value</p>
  
  <pre><code>'&lt;extraInfo&gt;&lt;resultsViewData&gt;&lt;courtname&gt;FL Circuit &amp;amp; County - Santa Rosa&lt;/courtname&gt;&lt;/resultsViewData&gt;&lt;/extraInfo&gt;'
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Even though I use <code>'&amp; amp ;'</code> instead of <code>'&amp;'</code>, I still get the below error,</p>
  
  <pre><code>ORA-31011: XML parsing failed
  ORA-19213: error occurred in XML processing at lines 1
  LPX-00242: invalid use of ampersand ('&amp;') character (use &amp;amp;)
  ORA-06512: at "SYS.XMLTYPE", line 272
  ORA-06512: at line 1
  31011. 00000 -  "XML parsing failed"
  *Cause:    XML parser returned an error while trying to parse the document.
  *Action:   Check if the document to be parsed is valid.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Sometimes I even get the error,</p>
  
  <pre><code>LPX-00242: invalid use of ampersand ('&amp;') character (use &amp;amp;amp;) 
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Is there any way to overcome this issue?</p>