# apex:define

A template component that provides content for an `<apex:insert>` component defined in a Visualforce template page.

Use this component to get user input for a controller method that does not correspond to a field on an sObject. Only `<apex:inputField>` and `<apex:outputField>` can be used with sObject fields.

See also: `<apex:composition>`, `<apex:insert>`

## Example

```apex
<!-- Page: composition -->
<!-- This page acts as the template. Create it first, then the page below.  -->	
<apex:page>
    <apex:outputText value="(template) This is before the header"/><br/>
    <apex:insert name="header"/><br/>
    <apex:outputText value="(template) This is between the header and body"/><br/>
    <apex:insert name="body"/>
</apex:page>
            
<!-- Page: page -->
<apex:page>
    <apex:composition template="composition">
        <apex:define name="header">(page) This is the header of mypage</apex:define>
        <apex:define name="body">(page) This is the body of mypage</apex:define>
    </apex:composition>
</apex:page>
```

The example above renders the following HTML:

```html
(template) This is before the header<br/>
(page) This is the header of mypage<br/>
(template) This is between the header and body<br/>
(page) This is the body of mypage
```

## Attributes

| Attribute Name | Attribute Type | Description                                                                                          | Required? | API Version | Access |
| -------------- | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- | ----------- | ------ |
| `name`         | String         | The name of the insert component into which the content of this define component should be inserted. | Yes       | 10.0        | global |

**See Also**

- [apex:composition](/docs/platform/salesforce-pages-developers-guide/guide/pages-compref-composition.md)
- [apex:insert](/docs/platform/salesforce-pages-developers-guide/guide/pages-compref-insert.md)