Extending Bricks: Echo Tag & ChatGPT Guide

Summary

In this video, Shariff from Bricks demonstrates how to display the total number of WooCommerce orders for each logged-in user on a website. He walks through the process of creating a custom PHP function, using Bricks' Echo tag, and utilizing ChatGPT for coding assistance. Shariff emphasizes the importance of understanding any PHP code before using it on your website and suggests using best practices like prefixing function names. The tutorial guides viewers through problem-solving, iterating with ChatGPT, and optimizing the solution for WooCommerce. The video ends with a challenge for users to create a custom PHP function for counting pending comments.

Takeaways

• 😀 Always understand any PHP code before running it on your website, especially when generated by AI tools like ChatGPT, as they may not fully grasp your site's context.
• 😀 Use Bricks Builder's Echo tag to render PHP functions dynamically in your design, allowing for customized dynamic content on your pages.
• 😀 When searching for a solution, look through the available documentation (like Bricks Academy) to see if an out-of-the-box solution exists for your problem.
• 😀 If you can't find a built-in solution in Bricks, turn to AI tools like ChatGPT to help generate the required PHP code, but always verify and refine it to ensure it works correctly.
• 😀 A basic PHP function can be written to count WooCommerce orders for a logged-in user using WooCommerce's built-in functions like `wc_get_orders`.
• 😀 You should test generated PHP code carefully in a safe environment (e.g., a staging site) to ensure it works as expected before using it on a live site.
• 😀 Consider optimizing your PHP queries, like filtering WooCommerce orders by their status (e.g., 'completed' or 'processing'), to enhance performance and accuracy.
• 😀 Remember to prefix your custom function names when adding them to `functions.php` to avoid potential conflicts with other plugins or theme code.
• 😀 ChatGPT can be a useful tool for generating code, but it may require additional prompting and review to refine the solution based on your specific needs.
• 😀 To implement dynamic PHP functionality, integrate the generated code in the Bricks Builder using the Echo tag to render output directly on your site.

Q & A

Why is it important to understand the PHP code before running it on your website?

Understanding the PHP code before running it is crucial because AI-generated code may not fully consider your site's context, leading to potential issues such as security vulnerabilities or unexpected behavior. Always verify and ensure the logic is correct before deploying it.

What does the Echo tag in Bricks Builder do?

The Echo tag in Bricks Builder is used to output the result of any PHP function within the builder. It enables dynamic content generation by rendering PHP output directly into the page.

How can you add custom PHP code to Bricks Builder?

You can add custom PHP code to Bricks Builder by editing the `functions.php` file in your theme or using a plugin like Code Snippets. You can then call these functions in Bricks using the Echo tag.

What is the role of ChatGPT in this tutorial?

ChatGPT is used as a tool to assist in generating and refining the PHP code. It suggests potential solutions, helps identify problems, and simplifies the code, but the user must verify its correctness and adapt it to the specific use case.

What is a common mistake when working with AI-generated code, and how can it be avoided?

A common mistake is blindly trusting AI-generated code without understanding its logic. This can be avoided by reviewing the code line by line, checking for unknown functions, and using resources like Google to verify the validity and context of the functions.

Why should you prefix your function names in PHP?

Prefixing function names helps avoid conflicts with other plugins or themes that might use the same function names. It ensures that your custom code doesn't interfere with existing code, preventing errors or undefined behavior.

How do you ensure that a PHP function only retrieves orders for a logged-in user?

To ensure the function only retrieves orders for a logged-in user, you can check the user's login status with the `is_user_logged_in()` function and then use the logged-in user's ID to query their specific orders using `wc_get_orders()`.

What should you do if you don't understand a function or keyword in the PHP code?

If you don't understand a function or keyword, it's important to research it. You can search online for the function's documentation or description to understand its purpose, return value, and how it fits into your code.

What is the benefit of asking ChatGPT to review and suggest improvements to the PHP code?

Asking ChatGPT to review and suggest improvements can help optimize the code, identify potential issues, and enhance the efficiency of the solution. It can also prompt the AI to consider best practices or alternative approaches that may not have been immediately obvious.

What is the purpose of the tutorial, and what problem does it solve?

The purpose of the tutorial is to guide users on how to display the total number of WooCommerce orders for each logged-in user in Bricks Builder, a feature not available out of the box. The tutorial walks through creating a custom PHP function and integrating it dynamically with Bricks using the Echo tag.