What is the the difference between blocks and using include when you are creating Jade templates? When do you use one over the other?
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A block is a placeholder. Its content comes from another jade file. An include is a placeholder, too. Its content also comes from another jade file.
So far, both are equal.
But:
include embeds a complete file. The including file defines which file is being included. Hence include is fine for outsourcing parts such as a footer or a header, which are always loaded the same way.
A block just defines a placeholder in the top file. Which content is included is not defined by this file, but by a sub-file. So, control over what is included is being reversed.
With an include, A says: Import B. With a block, B says: Here is content for a placeholder, and please use file A and its placeholders to fill in my content.
include means top-down, blocks mean bottom-up.
Additionally, one file may include several blocks.
When to use what:
- It's common to define the overall layout of a site in a master page with blocks.
- The single pages contain the content for each individual file, reference the master file and fill its blocks.
- Subviews in either the master or the page are being set up using includes.
Does that help?
Golo Roden
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1For details see "Template inheritance" and "Includes" https://github.com/visionmedia/jade – vaichidrewar Mar 08 '13 at 22:23
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1https://github.com/visionmedia/jade/blob/master/jade-language.md#template-inheritance – jpillora Oct 07 '13 at 06:09
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So, in order to use blocks you must extend a file with blocks in it? – Costa Michailidis Mar 30 '17 at 19:36