Todo Ticket Printer Server

Node.js application for printing TODO tickets on thermal receipt printers.

Features

• 🎫 Print todo tickets with title, assignee, and description
• 🖨️ Support for USB and network thermal printers
• 📋 RESTful API endpoints
• 🐳 Docker support (recommended for network printers)
• 📱 Easy to integrate with other applications

Quick Start

Docker (Recommended for Network Printers, USB on Linux only)

1. Configure your printer:

   cp .env.example .env

2. Edit .env for your printer:

   For Network Printer (recommended):

   PRINTER_NETWORK_IP=10.0.0.237  # Your printer's IP
   PRINTER_NETWORK_PORT=9100      # Usually 9100

   For USB Printer (Linux only):

   # Find your printer's USB IDs with: lsusb
   PRINTER_VENDOR_ID=0x20d1
   PRINTER_PRODUCT_ID=0x7008

3. Run with Docker Compose:

   docker-compose up -d

4. Test the API:

   curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/print-todo \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{
       "title": "Test the printer setup",
       "assignee": "John Doe",
       "description": "Make sure the printer is working correctly"
     }'

Local Development

1. Install dependencies:

   npm install

2. Configure environment:

   cp .env.example .env
   # Edit .env with your printer settings

3. Run the server:

   npm run todo-server

API Endpoints

POST /print-todo

Print a TODO ticket.

Request Body:

{
  "title": "Fix the login bug", // Required: Main task title
  "assignee": "John Doe", // Optional: Person assigned
  "description": "Users cannot login..." // Optional: Task details
}

Response:

{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Todo ticket printed successfully",
  "ticket": {
    "title": "Fix the login bug",
    "assignee": "John Doe",
    "description": "Users cannot login...",
    "timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z"
  }
}

GET /health

Check server and printer status.

GET /printer-status

Get detailed printer connection information.

GET /

API documentation and usage examples

Configuration

Configure your printer in the .env file. Choose either USB or Network mode:

USB Mode

• PRINTER_VENDOR_ID: USB Vendor ID (hex format, e.g., 0x20d1)
• PRINTER_PRODUCT_ID: USB Product ID (hex format, e.g., 0x7008)

Network Mode

• PRINTER_NETWORK_IP: Network printer IP address
• PRINTER_NETWORK_PORT: Network printer port (default: 9100)

Examples

Using curl

# Simple ticket with just a title
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/print-todo \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title":"Review pull request #123"}'

# Full ticket with assignee and description
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/print-todo \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "title": "Fix login bug",
    "assignee": "John Doe",
    "description": "Users are unable to login with special characters in their passwords"
  }'

Using the test client

# Simple ticket
node test-client.js "Fix login bug"

# With assignee
node test-client.js "Fix login bug" "John Doe"

# Full ticket
node test-client.js "Fix login bug" "John Doe" "Users cannot login with special chars"

Using JavaScript fetch

const response = await fetch("http://localhost:3000/print-todo", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    title: "Update documentation",
    assignee: "Alice Smith",
    description: "Add API documentation for the new endpoints",
  }),
});

const result = await response.json();
console.log(result);

Docker Notes

Recommended: Network Mode

For best compatibility across all platforms, use network-connected printers:

1. Configure your printer for network access
2. Set PRINTER_NETWORK_IP in your .env file
3. Run with Docker: docker-compose up -d

USB Mode Limitations

⚠️ USB passthrough has platform-specific limitations:

• Linux: Full USB support with privileged mode
• macOS/Windows: USB passthrough not supported with Docker Desktop due to virtualization

For USB printers on macOS/Windows:

1. Run natively: npm run todo-server
2. Use a Linux host for Docker deployment
3. Convert to network printer (recommended)

Troubleshooting

Printer Not Found

1. Ensure printer is powered on and connected
2. For USB: Check USB IDs with lsusb
3. For Network: Verify IP address is reachable
4. Check your .env configuration

Print Quality

• Ensure printer has paper loaded
• Check paper width matches expectations

Related Files

• todo-printer-server.js - Main server file
• printer.js - Simple print test utility
• test-client.js - Test client for trying the API