What distinguishes sections from snippets in Shopify development?

Sections in Shopify development are unique components that allow for greater flexibility and customization directly from the theme editor. One key distinction between sections and snippets is that sections can be managed visually and configured within the theme editor, which includes the ability to show or hide them. This capability makes sections particularly powerful for merchants who want to personalize their storefronts without needing to dive into the code.

Sections often correspond to specific areas of a page and can be rearranged or toggled on and off through the user-friendly interface in the theme customizer. This functionality supports a more dynamic and adaptable site setup, as merchants can easily test different layouts and styles without complex updates to the source code.

On the other hand, snippets are essentially reusable pieces of code that serve a more functional role, typically designed to be embedded within templates or sections for repeated use. Snippets don’t provide the same level of interaction or customization in the theme editor.

The other options presented highlight certain limitations but do not accurately capture the essence of how sections are differentiated from snippets. For example, sections can utilize both inline and external styling. They also have access to variables defined outside of them and can be utilized within conditional logic as needed. Therefore, focusing on the ability to hide sections within the theme editor truly