updating documentation for the project

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2026-04-04 15:31:45 -05:00
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## Project ## Project
**morningedition**a morning edition printable newspaper generator. **morningedition**prints a daily morning "newspaper" receipt on an Epson TM-T88V thermal printer
at 6:30am via cron. One Python script, no dependencies beyond stdlib.
This repository is in early/empty state. No build system, dependencies, or code structure has been established yet. ## Printer
- **Model:** Epson TM-T88V (M244A), USB, 80mm paper rolls
- **CUPS name:** `receipt`
- **Print command:** `lpr -P receipt -o raw` — raw ESC/POS, do not use CUPS rendering mode
- **Paper cut:** `GS V 0x00` ESC/POS byte in the output stream
- **ASCII only** — no emoji, no unicode; use `.encode("ascii", errors="replace")`
- **Current WIDTH = 30** — printer NV is locked to 58mm mode; fix via Epson TM Utility
(Windows) then set WIDTH = 42. Do not change WIDTH without fixing the printer first.
## Architecture
`morningedition.py` is a single self-contained script:
1. Fetches weather from `wttr.in/{zipcode}?format=j1` (JSON)
2. Fetches RSS headlines from ABC13 and BBC
3. Builds a receipt as a list of ASCII text lines
4. Wraps lines in ESC/POS framing bytes (`INIT + FONT_A + body + CUT`)
5. Pipes raw bytes to `lpr -P receipt -o raw`
The `--preview` flag dumps the text portion to stdout instead of printing.
## Key constants (morningedition.py)
| Constant | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| `WIDTH` | 30 | chars per line; change to 42 after fixing printer NV |
| `PRINTER` | `"receipt"` | CUPS printer name |
| `ZIPCODE` | `"77433"` | Bridgeland, Cypress TX |
| `NAME` | `"Rich"` | used in greeting |
## Content rotation
Quotes, jokes, facts, and local tips rotate by `day_of_year % len(list)` — no state file needed.
## What to avoid
- Do not use `lpr -o TmxPaperCut=CutPerJob` — CUPS mode renders at huge font size
- Do not use emoji or unicode characters anywhere in output
- Do not add external dependencies; stdlib only
- NHL API (`api-web.nhle.com`) returns 403 — do not use
- `investing.com` scraping is unreliable — do not use

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# morningedition # morningedition
Morning Edition printable newspaper A daily morning receipt printer for the Epson TM-T88V thermal printer.
Prints a personalized "newspaper" every morning at 6:30am via cron.
## What it prints
- **Header** — date, time, location (Bridgeland, Cypress TX)
- **On This Day** — historical fact for today's date (when available)
- **Weather** — current conditions, hi/lo, humidity, UV, wind, sunrise/sunset via wttr.in
- **Houston News** — 5 live headlines from ABC13 RSS
- **World News** — 5 live headlines from BBC RSS
- **Thought for the Day** — rotating daily quote
- **Morning Chuckle** — rotating daily joke
- **Did You Know?** — rotating daily fun fact
- **Local Tip** — rotating Bridgeland/Houston tips
## Requirements
- Python 3 (stdlib only, no pip installs needed)
- Epson TM-T88V connected via USB, configured in CUPS as printer name `receipt`
- Internet connection at print time (weather + news)
## Usage
```bash
# Print to printer
python3 morningedition.py
# Preview in terminal (no printing)
python3 morningedition.py --preview
```
## Cron setup
Already configured at 6:30am Central Time:
```
CRON_TZ=America/Chicago
30 6 * * * /usr/bin/python3 /home/rich/Devel/morningedition/morningedition.py
```
## Printer notes
- Prints in **raw ESC/POS mode** (`lpr -P receipt -o raw`) — faster and more reliable than CUPS rendering
- Paper cut is handled via `GS V 0x00` in the ESC/POS byte stream
- ASCII only — no emoji or unicode
- `WIDTH = 30` currently because the printer NV memory is locked to 58mm paper mode
(even though 80mm rolls are loaded). To fix: use Epson TM Utility on Windows to set
Memory Switch → Paper Width → 80mm, then change `WIDTH = 30``WIDTH = 42` in
`morningedition.py` line 23.
## Files
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
| `morningedition.py` | Main script |
| `diagnose.py` | ESC/POS font/width diagnostic prints |
| `diagnose2.py` | Print area and character spacing diagnostics |
| `fixwidth.py` | NV paper-width fix attempts (v1) |
| `fixwidth2.py` | NV memory switch sweep (v2) |
| `readmsw.py` | Attempted memory switch readback via USB |