# {block}
`{block}` is used to define a named area of template source for template
inheritance. For details see section of [Template
Inheritance](../../programmers/advanced-features/advanced-features-template-inheritance.md).
The `{block}` template source area of a child template will replace the
corresponding areas in the parent template(s).
Optionally `{block}` areas of child and parent templates can be merged
into each other. You can append or prepend the parent `{block}` content
by using the `append` or `prepend` option flag with the child's `{block}`
definition. With `{$smarty.block.parent}` the `{block}` content of
the parent template can be inserted at any location of the child
`{block}` content. `{$smarty.block.child}` inserts the `{block}` content
of the child template at any location of the parent `{block}`.
`{blocks}'s` can be nested.
## Attributes
| Attribute Name | Required | Description |
|----------------|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| name | yes | The name of the template source block |
| assign | no | The name of variable to assign the output of the block to. |
> **Note**
>
> The assign attribute only works on the block that actually gets executed, so you may need
> to add it to each child block as well.
## Option Flags (in child templates only):
| Name | Description |
|---------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| append | The `{block}` content will be appended to the content of the parent template `{block}` |
| prepend | The `{block}` content will be prepended to the content of the parent template `{block}` |
| hide | Ignore the block content if no child block of same name is existing. |
| nocache | Disables caching of the `{block}` content |
## Examples
parent.tpl
```smarty
{block name="title"}Default Title{/block}
{block "title"}Default Title{/block} {* short-hand *}
```
child.tpl
```smarty
{extends file="parent.tpl"}
{block name="title"}
Page Title
{/block}
```
The result would look like
```html
Page Title
```
parent.tpl
```smarty
{block name="title"}Title - {/block}
```
child.tpl
```smarty
{extends file="parent.tpl"}
{block name="title" append}
Page Title
{/block}
```
The result would look like
```html
Title - Page Title
```
parent.tpl
```smarty
{block name="title"} is my title{/block}
```
child.tpl
```smarty
{extends file="parent.tpl"}
{block name="title" prepend}
Page Title
{/block}
```
The result would look like
```html
Page title is my titel
```
parent.tpl
```smarty
{block name="title"}The {$smarty.block.child} was inserted here{/block}
```
child.tpl
```smarty
{extends file="parent.tpl"}
{block name="title"}
Child Title
{/block}
```
The result would look like
```html
The Child Title was inserted here
```
parent.tpl
```smarty
{block name="title"}Parent Title{/block}
```
child.tpl
```smarty
{extends file="parent.tpl"}
{block name="title"}
You will see now - {$smarty.block.parent} - here
{/block}
```
The result would look like
```html
You will see now - Parent Title - here
```
See also [Template
Inheritance](../../programmers/advanced-features/advanced-features-template-inheritance.md),
[`$smarty.block.parent`](../language-variables/language-variables-smarty.md#smartyblockparent-languagevariablessmartyblockparent),
[`$smarty.block.child`](../language-variables/language-variables-smarty.md#smartyblockchild-languagevariablessmartyblockchild), and
[`{extends}`](./language-function-extends.md)