pp-vestaboard

What this skill does

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# Vestaboard — Printing Press CLI

## Prerequisites: Install the CLI

This skill drives the `vestaboard-pp-cli` binary. **You must verify the CLI is installed before invoking any command from this skill.** If it is missing, install it first:

1. Install via the Printing Press installer. It defaults binaries to `$HOME/.local/bin` on macOS/Linux and `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\PrintingPress\bin` on Windows:
   ```bash
   npx -y @mvanhorn/printing-press-library install vestaboard --cli-only
   ```
2. Verify: `vestaboard-pp-cli --version`
3. Ensure the reported install directory is on `$PATH` for the agent/runtime that will invoke this skill.

If the `npx` install fails (no Node, offline, etc.), fall back to a direct Go install (requires Go 1.26.3 or newer):

```bash
go install github.com/mvanhorn/printing-press-library/library/devices/vestaboard/cmd/vestaboard-pp-cli@latest
```

If `--version` reports "command not found" after install, the runtime cannot see the binary directory on `$PATH`. Do not proceed with skill commands until verification succeeds.

## When to Use This CLI

Use this CLI to read or change what is displayed on a Vestaboard split-flap display: check the current message, render it as text, format text into character codes, post a new message, or adjust the transition style. It is the right tool when an agent needs to observe or update a physical Vestaboard programmatically.

## Anti-triggers

Do not use this CLI for:
- Do not use this CLI for the Vestaboard Local (LAN) API or the Subscription API — it wraps the Cloud Read/Write API only.
- Do not use it to manage multiple boards or board membership; a Cloud token maps to a single board.

## Unique Capabilities

These capabilities aren't available in any other tool for this API.

### Make the board legible
- **`message preview`** — See what's on your Vestaboard right now as readable text instead of a raw integer grid.

  _Reach for this before composing or sending — it is the only way to know the board's current contents without decoding codes by hand._

  ```bash
  vestaboard-pp-cli message preview --json
  ```
- **`characters`** — Print the full Vestaboard character-code table (code to glyph) for hand-building a character-array message.

  _Use this when constructing a 'message send' character payload so you map glyphs to the right integer codes._

  ```bash
  vestaboard-pp-cli characters --json
  ```

## Command Reference

**message** — The message currently shown on the Vestaboard.

- `vestaboard-pp-cli message get` — Read the message currently displayed on the board.
- `vestaboard-pp-cli message send` — Send a new message to the board.

**transition** — Transition animation settings for the board (Flagship and Note devices).

- `vestaboard-pp-cli transition get` — Get the current transition style and speed.
- `vestaboard-pp-cli transition set` — Set the transition style and speed. Both fields are required.

**vbml** — Vestaboard Markup Language (VBML) text formatting service.

- `vestaboard-pp-cli vbml` — Convert a text string into a 2D array of Vestaboard character codes.


### Finding the right command

When you know what you want to do but not which command does it, ask the CLI directly:

```bash
vestaboard-pp-cli which "<capability in your own words>"
```

`which` resolves a natural-language capability query to the best matching command from this CLI's curated feature index. Exit code `0` means at least one match; exit code `2` means no confident match — fall back to `--help` or use a narrower query.

## Recipes

### Read the board as text

```bash
vestaboard-pp-cli message preview
```

Decodes the live layout into a bordered block of glyphs you can read.

### Inspect the raw layout with field selection

```bash
vestaboard-pp-cli message get --agent --select currentMessage.id,currentMessage.layout
```

Pulls just the id and raw character grid for an agent without the surrounding envelope.

### Format then send a message

```bash
vestaboard-pp-cli vbml --message "GM" --json
```

Convert text to a character-code grid on the VBML host, then pass it to 'message send --body-json'.

### Set a transition

```bash
vestaboard-pp-cli transition set --transition wave --transition-speed gentle
```

Change the flip animation style and speed.

## Auth Setup

Create a Cloud API token in the API tab on web.vestaboard.com (or the mobile app under Settings → Advanced Settings), then run 'vestaboard-pp-cli auth set-token <token>'. The token is sent only to cloud.vestaboard.com; the VBML formatter on vbml.vestaboard.com takes no credentials.

Run `vestaboard-pp-cli doctor` to verify setup.

## Agent Mode

Add `--agent` to any command. Expands to: `--json --compact --no-input --no-color --yes`.

- **Pipeable** — JSON on stdout, errors on stderr
- **Filterable** — `--select` keeps a subset of fields. Dotted paths descend into nested structures; arrays traverse element-wise. Critical for keeping context small on verbose APIs:

  ```bash
  vestaboard-pp-cli message get --agent --select id,name,status
  ```
- **Previewable** — `--dry-run` shows the request without sending
- **Non-interactive** — never prompts, every input is a flag
- **Explicit retries** — use `--idempotent` only when an already-existing create should count as success

## Agent Feedback

When you (or the agent) notice something off about this CLI, record it:

```
vestaboard-pp-cli feedback "the --since flag is inclusive but docs say exclusive"
vestaboard-pp-cli feedback --stdin < notes.txt
vestaboard-pp-cli feedback list --json --limit 10
```

Entries are stored locally at `~/.local/share/vestaboard-pp-cli/feedback.jsonl`. They are never POSTed unless `VESTABOARD_FEEDBACK_ENDPOINT` is set AND either `--send` is passed or `VESTABOARD_FEEDBACK_AUTO_SEND=true`. Default behavior is local-only.

Write what *surprised* you, not a bug report. Short, specific, one line: that is the part that compounds.

## Output Delivery

Every command accepts `--deliver <sink>`. The output goes to the named sink in addition to (or instead of) stdout, so agents can route command results without hand-piping. Three sinks are supported:

| Sink | Effect |
|------|--------|
| `stdout` | Default; write to stdout only |
| `file:<path>` | Atomically write output to `<path>` (tmp + rename) |
| `webhook:<url>` | POST the output body to the URL (`application/json` or `application/x-ndjson` when `--compact`) |

Unknown schemes are refused with a structured error naming the supported set. Webhook failures return non-zero and log the URL + HTTP status on stderr.

## Named Profiles

A profile is a saved set of flag values, reused across invocations. Use it when a scheduled agent calls the same command every run with the same configuration - HeyGen's "Beacon" pattern.

```
vestaboard-pp-cli profile save briefing --json
vestaboard-pp-cli --profile briefing message get
vestaboard-pp-cli profile list --json
vestaboard-pp-cli profile show briefing
vestaboard-pp-cli profile delete briefing --yes
```

Explicit flags always win over profile values; profile values win over defaults. `agent-context` lists all available profiles under `available_profiles` so introspecting agents discover them at runtime.

## Exit Codes

| Code | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| 0 | Success |
| 2 | Usage error (wrong arguments) |
| 3 | Resource not found |
| 4 | Authentication required |
| 5 | API error (upstream issue) |
| 7 | Rate limited (wait and retry) |
| 10 | Config error |

## Argument Parsing

Parse `$ARGUMENTS`:

1. **Empty, `help`, or `--help`** → show `vestaboard-pp-cli --help` output
2. **Starts with `install`** → ends with `mcp` →