# Quick Start Guide

## Simple Usage (Recommended)

1. **Make sure you're in the project directory:**
   ```bash
   cd pokemon-disco
   ```

2. **Run the complete scraper and PDF generator:**
   ```bash
   ./run.sh
   ```
   
   This single command will:
   - Set up the Python virtual environment
   - Install all required packages
   - Scrape Pokemon TCG products from Dollar General
   - Generate a professional PDF catalog with barcodes
   - Create timestamped files for easy organization

## What You'll Get

### Generated Files:
- **`pokemon_tcg_products_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.json`** - Raw data in JSON format
- **`catalog_output/pokemon_tcg_catalog_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.pdf`** - Professional PDF catalog

### PDF Catalog Contents:
- Product images (downloaded automatically)
- Product details (title, price, stock, SKU)
- UPC-A barcodes for each product (generated from SKU)
- Table of contents for easy navigation
- Professional formatting suitable for printing

## Alternative Commands

If you prefer more control:

```bash
# Activate virtual environment first
source venv/bin/activate

# Run only the scraper
python scraper.py

# Run only the PDF generator (after scraping)
python pdf_generator.py pokemon_tcg_products_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.json

# Run everything (installs requirements automatically)
python run_scraper.py
```

## Output Location

All generated files will be in:
- JSON data: Current directory
- PDF catalog: `catalog_output/` directory
- Product images: `catalog_output/images/`
- Barcode images: `catalog_output/barcodes/`

## Requirements

- Python 3.7+
- pandoc (for PDF generation)
- Internet connection (for scraping)

The script will automatically handle Python dependencies via virtual environment.

## Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

1. **Permission denied:** Make sure the script is executable:
   ```bash
   chmod +x run.sh
   ```

2. **Pandoc not found:** Install pandoc for your system:
   ```bash
   # Ubuntu/Debian
   sudo apt install pandoc
   
   # Arch Linux  
   sudo pacman -S pandoc
   
   # macOS
   brew install pandoc
   ```

3. **No products found:** The website may have anti-bot protection or changed structure. The script includes fallback mechanisms.

4. **PDF generation fails:** The markdown file will still be generated, which you can manually convert or view.

## File Naming Convention

All output files include Unix-friendly timestamps:
- Format: `YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS` (e.g., `20241221_143025`)
- This ensures chronological sorting with `ls` command
- No spaces or special characters for script-friendly handling

## Example Output

```
pokemon-disco/
├── pokemon_tcg_products_20241221_143025.json     # Scraped data
├── catalog_output/
│   ├── pokemon_tcg_catalog_20241221_143025.pdf   # Final catalog
│   ├── pokemon_tcg_catalog_20241221_143025.md    # Markdown source
│   ├── images/
│   │   ├── product_1_SKU123456.jpg               # Product images
│   │   └── product_2_SKU789012.jpg
│   └── barcodes/
│       ├── barcode_SKU123456.png                 # UPC-A barcodes
│       └── barcode_SKU789012.png
```