Dynamicboard

Dynamicboard is a lightweight web app that lets you compose messages for a Vestaboard and send them on a timer or on demand. It supports both free‑text messages and a 22×6 grid editor, plus scheduled “event” messages that only display during a date range.

Features

• 22×6 grid editor with quick navigation
• Auto‑format text submissions
• Scheduled messages with date ranges and yearly repeats
• Timer‑based rotation of saved messages
• One‑click “Send to Board” for any saved message

Quick Start

1. Install dependencies:
   • npm install
2. Start the server:
   • npm run dev (auto‑reload) or npm start
3. Open the UI:
   • http://localhost:4000

On first run, a config.json file is created in the project root.

Configuration (config.json)

Add your Vestaboard Read/Write API key to apiWriteKey.
You can find it in the Vestaboard app under Settings → Advanced Settings → Read/Write API.

Key fields:

• apiWriteKey: Vestaboard read/write key (required)
• isEnabled: Enable/disable the send loop
• timer: Interval in milliseconds between sends (UI is in minutes)
• messages: Saved messages and event data

Message Functions

Functions must be wrapped with {}. Example:

Christmas is in {tillDate(12,25,2025)} days!

Available:

• tillDate(mm,dd,yyyy)
  Returns the number of days until (or since) the date.
• todayDate()
  Returns today’s date in mm,dd,yyyy format.

How Scheduling Works

• Every timer interval, the app sends the next message in messages.
• If a message is marked as an event, it only sends when the current time is within its date range.
• Non‑recurring events are removed after their end date passes.

Docker

Build and run:

• docker build -t dynamicboard .
• docker run -p 4000:4000 dynamicboard

Build a Standalone Binary (optional)

This uses pkg to generate platform builds:

• npm run build:pkg

Outputs go to release/.

Notes

• Keep your config.json secret; it contains your API key.
• The UI shows a warning banner if the key is missing or invalid.