Build Anything with Perplexity, Here’s How

Introduction

Hello, my name is David Andre, and today I'm excited to share how you can build virtually anything using Perplexity, an AI tool specializing in web searches. If you’re new to Perplexity, it takes a large language model (LLM) and enhances its capabilities by allowing it to search the web for information.

What is Perplexity?

Perplexity stands out in its ability to deliver comprehensive answers by pulling data from numerous reputable sources. For instance, when asked about something like the Twitter exchange between Elon Musk and Yan Leon, Perplexity doesn't just limit its search to a few sites; instead, it spans through 20 distinct webpages to gather the most accurate and varied information.

Unlike ChatGPT, which might provide just a handful of sources, the breadth of information gathered by Perplexity is unmatched. Additionally, the Pro version includes CloFre Opus, providing flexibility in choosing which LLM to use—an advantage for programmers who can switch between generating and debugging code seamlessly.

Idea Generation with Perplexity

Now, without knowing what to build, let’s allow Perplexity to generate some project ideas. By specifying that we want to focus on writing, we can receive a list of 10 cool project types. One potential idea is to create a distraction blocker—a simple productivity extension that allows users to choose between visiting their task list or a distracting website.

Project Design

Let’s refine this idea further. We want a tool that prompts the user whenever they try to visit a site like Twitter or X.com. The prompt will provide two buttons—one that redirects them to their task list and another that allows them to continue to the site.

We can ask Perplexity to suggest five potential designs for this Chrome extension, and we can discuss and evaluate those suggestions.

Building the Chrome Extension

Setting Up the Project: Start by creating an empty Python project. Although we’ll be using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the Chrome extension, the project folder structure is essential.
Creating Manifest File: The manifest.json file describes the extension, including its name, version, permissions, and default popup settings.
Creating the Popup: This is the HTML file where the user interactions will occur. This file needs to contain buttons that will control whether to navigate to the task list or continue to the distracting site.
Adding JavaScript: The JavaScript file manages the logic of the extension—reacting to user interactions and dynamically changing the browser's current URL based on input.
Styling with CSS: Although basic styling can be applied to give a clean, polished look to the popup, you can customize endlessly depending on your taste.
Creating Icons: Icons are essential for the extension’s identity. You can generate simple icons using Perplexity or design them in graphic software like Photoshop.
Testing the Extension: Once you load the unpacked extension in Chrome with developer mode enabled, you can interact with it and verify its functionality.

Debugging and Final Adjustments

If your extension doesn't work as intended, it's crucial to conduct debugging with Perplexity or a different AI model, such as GPT-4. You can copy your existing code and ask for help to make necessary adjustments.

For example, if your extension is not preventing distractions on X.com or Twitter, you might need to adjust the behavior of the content script or the way the popup is triggered.

Eventually, with a few tweaks, the extension can evolve to fully occupy the browser’s view when visiting distracting sites, effectively keeping users from wasting time online.

Conclusion

By the end of this process, I’m proud to say that I created a simple Chrome extension that’s effective at helping manage productivity, using the powerful capabilities of AI. Even though I have limited proficiency in coding, by closely collaborating with Perplexity throughout the development, I was able to build something functional and valuable in under an hour.

This experience illustrates that it’s entirely possible for beginners to leverage AI tools and create their projects without extensive programming knowledge.

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Keyword

Perplexity
Chrome Extension
Productivity
JavaScript
HTML
CSS
Debugging
Task List
Distraction Blocker
AI Tools

FAQ

Q1: What is Perplexity?
A1: Perplexity is an AI tool that specializes in web searches and enhances a large language model's capabilities by pulling information from multiple sources.

Q2: Do I need programming skills to build with Perplexity?
A2: No, you don't need extensive programming skills. Perplexity can guide you through the development process, and you can rely on it for coding assistance.

Q3: Can I generate project ideas with Perplexity?
A3: Absolutely! You can ask Perplexity to provide lists of project ideas based on specific parameters.

Q4: How do I test my Chrome extension?
A4: Load your extension in Chrome's developer mode, interact with it, and verify its functionality.

Q5: What should I do if my extension doesn’t work?
A5: Conduct debugging using Perplexity or a powerful language model to identify errors and suggest repairs to your code.