initial prototype for autokanban

.github/copilot-instructions.md

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+
+# Copilot Instructions for AI Coding Agents
+
+## Project Overview
+AutoKanban is a FastAPI-based web application for managing a physical kanban workflow, integrating with a 58mm Arduino thermal printer. The system allows users to submit tasks, admins to approve and print them, and cards to be pinned to a physical board.
+
+## Major Components
+- `app/main.py`: Main FastAPI app, task model, admin session, printer/image generation, static mounts.
+- `app/models.py`: Pydantic Task model.
+- `app/printer.py`: (Optional) Printer abstraction for cross-platform serial printing.
+- `app/templates/`: Jinja2 HTML templates for UI.
+- `app/static/`: Static files (fonts, CSS, images, Font Awesome OTFs).
+- `data/tasks.json`: Persistent task storage (JSON).
+- `.env`: Secrets (admin password, etc). Not committed.
+- `.gitignore`: Ignores `.env`, `out/`, and other sensitive/generated files.
+- `out/`: Stores generated card preview images (debug mode).
+
+## Key Features & Workflows
+- Users submit tasks via web UI.
+- Admins approve tasks and print them to a 58mm ESC/POS thermal printer.
+- Card preview images are generated using Pillow (debug mode), with custom and Font Awesome fonts.
+- Semantic icon rendering: Task keywords map to Font Awesome icons.
+- Admin authentication via password (from `.env`).
+- Persistent storage in `data/tasks.json`.
+- German localization in UI and card output.
+
+## Build, Test, and Debug
+- Install dependencies: `pip install -r requirements.txt`
+- Run app: `uvicorn app.main:app --reload`
+- For card preview (debug): Set `DEBUG_PRINT_TO_IMAGE = True` in `app/main.py`.
+- Fonts: Place custom and Font Awesome OTFs in `app/static/fonts/`.
+- Set admin password in `.env` as `ADMIN_PASSWORD=yourpassword`.
+
+## Project Conventions
+- Use environment variables for secrets (never hardcode passwords).
+- Use Pillow's robust font loading with error handling for card previews.
+- All static assets (fonts, images) go in `app/static/`.
+- All persistent data in `data/`.
+- All generated output in `out/` (gitignored).
+
+## Integration Points
+- Thermal printer: ESC/POS via `python-escpos` (serial connection, `/dev/ttyUSB0` by default).
+- Font Awesome: Use OTF from `app/static/fonts/fontawesome-free-7.1.0-desktop/otfs/`.
+
+## How to Contribute
+- Update this file as new features, files, or conventions are added.
+- Reference key files and directories.
+- Keep instructions concise and actionable for future AI agents and developers.
+
+---
+_Last updated: 2025-10-20_