FAQ: Using Twig Markup for Acenda Admin Tools

This guide provides an overview of using the Twig markup language within the Acenda admin tool, particularly for product posting templates and data export feeds. Twig is a flexible, fast, and secure templating engine that allows you to dynamically insert and manipulate data from your Acenda platform.

What is Twig, and why is it used in Acenda?

Twig is a modern template language for PHP. In Acenda, it allows you to:

Access and display platform data (like product details, order information, and variant options).
Apply logic (like if/elseif/else statements) to dynamically format data based on specific conditions.
Manipulate data using various filters (like lower, length, round) and functions.

When creating a feed or a posting template, the Twig code you write determines exactly what data is included and in what format.

Key Twig Concepts in Acenda Templates

Concept	Syntax Example	Description
Output Data	`{{ variable.field }}`	Used to display the value of a variable or a field from the Acenda data structure.
Control Structures	`{% if condition %} ... {% endif %}`	Used to execute code blocks conditionally (e.g., `if`, `for`, `set`).
Filters	`{{ field	lower }}`
Set Variables	`{% set var = "value" %}`	Used to create or update a variable for use later in the template.
Whitespace Control	`{% apply spaceless %} ... {% endapply %}`	Used to remove unnecessary whitespace between HTML tags or data elements, which is useful for clean data feeds.
Comments	`{# This is a comment #}`	Used to document your code; it is ignored when the template is rendered.

💡 Example 1: Mapping Data with Conditional Logic (Posting Template)

This example shows how to correctly map the color variant from your Acenda product data to a specific field in a target platform's posting template, checking multiple possible variant option locations.

Twig

{% apply spaceless %}
{% if product.variant_options[0].name|lower == 'color' or product.variant_options[1].name|lower == 'color' %}
    {% if product.variant_options[0].values|length > 1 and product.variant_options[0].name|lower == 'color' %}
        {{variant.fields.color|raw}}
    {% elseif product.variant_options[1].values|length > 1 and product.variant_options[1].name|lower == 'color' %}
        {{variant.fields.color|raw}}
    {% endif %}
{% else %}
{% endif %}
{% endapply %}

Key Takeaways:

{% apply spaceless %}: Ensures the output is compact, which is often required for posting templates.
product.variant_options[0].name|lower == 'color': Checks if the first variant option's name (converted to lowercase) is 'color'. The index [0] refers to the first option and [1] to the second.
product.variant_options[0].values|length > 1: Ensures that this option actually has variants (more than one value), preventing output if it's not a real variant.
{{variant.fields.color|raw}}: Outputs the specific color value for the current variant and uses the raw filter to ensure special characters aren't escaped.

📋 Example 2: Creating a Recurring Export Order Feed

This example demonstrates setting variables and iterating through items to create a structured order feed.

Twig

{% apply spaceless %}
{% if ship_advice.sales_channel_id == 1 %}
    {% set account_code = "WMT" %}
{# ... other elseif blocks for different sales channels ... #}
{% elseif ship_advice.sales_channel_id == 4 %}
    {% set account_code = "TGT" %}
{% endif %}

{% set ship_first_name = order.shipping_information.first_name %}
{# ... logic to combine first name and company if necessary ... #}

{% set ship_last_name = order.shipping_information.last_name %}
{% if order.shipping_information.last_name == "NA" %}
  {% set ship_last_name = '' %}
{% endif %}
{% endapply %}

{# Shipping Info #}{{ ship_first_name }}
{{ ship_last_name }}
{# ... outputting other shipping fields ... #}

{% for item in ship_advice.ship_advice_item %}
{% apply spaceless %}
{% set adjusted_price = item.unit_price - (item.total_item_discount) / item.quantity %}
{% endapply %}
{{ item.sku }}|{{ item.product_name }};Sku: {{ item.sku }};Model#: {{ item.sku }}|{{ item.quantity }}|{{ item.unit_price }}|{{ item.sku }}|{{adjusted_price|round(2)}}
{% endfor %}

Key Takeaways:

Setting Variables: {% set account_code = "WMT" %} stores a value based on a condition, making the final output cleaner.
Conditional Formatting: The logic for ship_first_name and ship_last_name cleans up the data before output (e.g., removing "NA").
Looping: {% for item in ship_advice.ship_advice_item %} iterates over each line item in the order, allowing you to output repeated data blocks for the feed.
Calculations: {% set adjusted_price = item.unit_price - (item.total_item_discount) / item.quantity %} shows you can perform basic math within the template.
{{adjusted_price|round(2)}}: The round(2) filter ensures the price is formatted to two decimal places.

How ChatGPT Can Help with Twig Formulas

ChatGPT (or similar large language models) can be a powerful co-pilot for writing and debugging your Twig formulas.

Generate Initial Code: Provide a clear description of the data you need to access and the logic required.
Example Prompt: "Write me a Twig formula for an Acenda posting template. I need to check if a product's custom field called 'material' is not empty. If it has a value, output it. Otherwise, output 'N/A'."
Translate Logic to Twig: If you know the logic in plain English or another language (like PHP or Python), ask ChatGPT to translate it into Acenda-specific Twig syntax.
Debugging/Reviewing: Paste your existing Twig code and the problem you're encountering.
Example Prompt: "This Twig formula isn't outputting anything. I'm trying to access the product SKU. The field is called product.sku. Can you review this for errors? {% if product.sku is not null %}{{ sku }}{% endif %}" (ChatGPT would point out that the output variable should be product.sku).
Formatting and Filtering: Ask for the correct filters to achieve a desired format.
Example Prompt: "How do I use a Twig filter to ensure a price variable is always shown with two decimal places in Acenda?"