with creates a local scope

with creates a local scope

[%  x=10
    y=20
%]

[%  with y=200, z=300 %]
      x is [% x %]            [#  10 #]
      y is [% y %]            [# 200 #]
      z is [% z %]            [# 300 #]
[%  end %]

[# y restored to 20, z is undefined #]--EOF--
look inside...

Thus Spake Andy:

TT2 had the INCLUDE directive which filled a template in a local variable scope (a fancy way of saying that your existing variables don't get trampled on). In TT3 we have a new with command for creating a local scope. Inside the with...end block we have two new variables defined, y and z. All the other variables outside the block are also visible. Any new variables added or existing variables changed inside the block will only persist until the end of the block. At that point the local scope is discarded and the outer scope restored (another fancy way of saying you get your old variables back).