When should I use the embed tag over the dynamic/template tags?

Question

Since Layout templates are so handy (cutting the template into interchangeable header/sidebar/footer, etc), why should our use an embed tag? Any ideas on when you should not use an embed tag over a layout tag?

Answer 1

One simple difference is that you can use only 1 layout template to do what takes at least 2 embeds to be done: header and footer code sections. Every template parsing you save counts.

You can use embeds for several things:

• to nest the same module inside itself or modules which have conflicting variables inside each other, because this can cause serious conflicts on the same template. Like a exp:channel:entries tag inside another one or a exp:comment:entries inside a exp:channel:entries;
• to have a different template cache time on an embed from the template it's loaded;
• to have similar templates loading at different URLs, if you are too scared of routes. Something like /cars and /boats loading the same template;