Create file vs custom end marker

JerryL

I'm just new to learning Linux and I'm trying to find the value in the difference between two ways of creating simple files. The first is in creating a file and the second is with a custom end marker

cat > winter.txt
--- enter text ---
Ctrl d key

and

cat > hot.txt <<stop
> line 1
> line 2
> stop

The above two examples end up with giving the same end result. Other than the syntax, what is the real difference between the two and when would you want to use one over the other?

Thanks from a newbie linuxer!

pram

The second is a heredoc, you'd use it for a non interactive script.