Use of "&"

[Markxxx]

Just when is it acceptable to use the ampersand symbol

[Greg Charles]

When you have a structure or object and you need the address of it. Also, when you are doing a bitwise AND operation, or a boolean AND (without short-circuiting) in Java.

Or did you mean in prose?

[tanstaafl]

[list=a] In front of a variable to return the address of the variable.
In front of a parameter in an argument list to use pass-by-reference.
In the prototype for a function to be called by pass-by-reference.
As a bitwise AND operator.[/list=a]

[Athena]

We have now proven that we have WAY too many software nerds on this board. I'm ashamed that I understand the above posts.

[Markxxx]

Oops should have qualified it. I meant in prose. I have seen everything from Titles only to NEVER while looking.

[mr john]

Any & everytime you want.& don't start a sentence with'&' & ,of course in trade names & brand names, & etc. & I lost my Harcort & Brace 'Style & uasge guide' & I can't look it up & thats all I have to say about that & so I will stop.

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Signitorily yours, Mr John
" Pardon me while I have a strange interlude."-Marx
"........."-Marx

[steno]

According to the Associated Press stylebook, only in company names, and even then only when the company officially uses the ampersand. Since we seem to be moving slowly toward concatenation (thanks to Web addresses for that), look for the disappearance of the ampersand soon. (Here comes the BO Railroad!)

[smarks]

what a funny word. ampersand. did some guy named "ampers" invent the symbol, thus creating the ampers "and" ?

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The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is right now.

[Kat]

According to Dictionary of Word Origins, 'ampersand' is a conflation (conflate to fuse into one entity; merge;combine) of the phrase and per se and (meaning 'and by it self and'). It goes on to try to explain what that means, but you don't want to read that. Trust me.

[mr john]

Wow! 'ampersand' 'concatenation' 'conflation'
The things you see when you don't have your gun. It's what an electrician has in his lunch box an &wich. That is my conflated concatenation of the day.

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Signitorily yours, Mr John
" Pardon me while I have a strange interlude."-Marx
"........."-Marx