From 03ff091a71ac93640bbf8abadb79e62ba6c61995 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Josh Hawkins <32435876+hawkeye217@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:43:30 -0600
Subject: [PATCH] update copilot instructions to copy HA's format

---
 .github/copilot-instructions.md | 388 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 385 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.github/copilot-instructions.md b/.github/copilot-instructions.md
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-- For Frigate NVR, never write strings in the frontend directly. Since the project uses `react-i18next`, use `t()` and write the English string in the relevant translations file in `web/public/locales/en`.
-- Always conform new and refactored code to the existing coding style in the project.
-- Always have a way to test your work and confirm your changes. When running backend tests, use `python3 -u -m unittest`.
+# GitHub Copilot Instructions for Frigate NVR
+
+This document provides coding guidelines and best practices for contributing to Frigate NVR, a complete and local NVR designed for Home Assistant with AI object detection.
+
+## Project Overview
+
+Frigate NVR is a realtime object detection system for IP cameras that uses:
+
+- **Backend**: Python 3.13+ with FastAPI, OpenCV, TensorFlow/ONNX
+- **Frontend**: React with TypeScript, Vite, TailwindCSS
+- **Architecture**: Multiprocessing design with ZMQ and MQTT communication
+- **Focus**: Minimal resource usage with maximum performance
+
+## Code Review Guidelines
+
+When reviewing code, do NOT comment on:
+
+- Missing imports - Static analysis tooling catches these
+- Code formatting - Ruff (Python) and Prettier (TypeScript/React) handle formatting
+- Minor style inconsistencies already enforced by linters
+
+## Python Backend Standards
+
+### Python Requirements
+
+- **Compatibility**: Python 3.13+
+- **Language Features**: Use modern Python features:
+  - Pattern matching
+  - Type hints (comprehensive typing preferred)
+  - f-strings (preferred over `%` or `.format()`)
+  - Dataclasses
+  - Async/await patterns
+
+### Code Quality Standards
+
+- **Formatting**: Ruff (configured in `pyproject.toml`)
+- **Linting**: Ruff with rules defined in project config
+- **Type Checking**: Use type hints consistently
+- **Testing**: unittest framework - use `python3 -u -m unittest` to run tests
+- **Language**: American English for all code, comments, and documentation
+
+### Logging Standards
+
+- **Logger Pattern**: Use module-level logger
+
+  ```python
+  import logging
+
+  logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+  ```
+
+- **Format Guidelines**:
+  - No periods at end of log messages
+  - No sensitive data (keys, tokens, passwords)
+  - Use lazy logging: `logger.debug("Message with %s", variable)`
+- **Log Levels**:
+  - `debug`: Development and troubleshooting information
+  - `info`: Important runtime events (startup, shutdown, state changes)
+  - `warning`: Recoverable issues that should be addressed
+  - `error`: Errors that affect functionality but don't crash the app
+  - `exception`: Use in except blocks to include traceback
+
+### Error Handling
+
+- **Exception Types**: Choose most specific exception available
+- **Try/Catch Best Practices**:
+  - Only wrap code that can throw exceptions
+  - Keep try blocks minimal - process data after the try/except
+  - Avoid bare exceptions except in background tasks
+
+  Bad pattern:
+
+  ```python
+  try:
+      data = await device.get_data()  # Can throw
+      # ❌ Don't process data inside try block
+      processed = data.get("value", 0) * 100
+      result = processed
+  except DeviceError:
+      logger.error("Failed to get data")
+  ```
+
+  Good pattern:
+
+  ```python
+  try:
+      data = await device.get_data()  # Can throw
+  except DeviceError:
+      logger.error("Failed to get data")
+      return
+
+  # ✅ Process data outside try block
+  processed = data.get("value", 0) * 100
+  result = processed
+  ```
+
+### Async Programming
+
+- **External I/O**: All external I/O operations must be async
+- **Best Practices**:
+  - Avoid sleeping in loops - use `asyncio.sleep()` not `time.sleep()`
+  - Avoid awaiting in loops - use `asyncio.gather()` instead
+  - No blocking calls in async functions
+  - Use `asyncio.create_task()` for background operations
+- **Thread Safety**: Use proper synchronization for shared state
+
+### Documentation Standards
+
+- **Module Docstrings**: Concise descriptions at top of files
+  ```python
+  """Utilities for motion detection and analysis."""
+  ```
+- **Function Docstrings**: Required for public functions and methods
+
+  ```python
+  async def process_frame(frame: ndarray, config: Config) -> Detection:
+      """Process a video frame for object detection.
+
+      Args:
+          frame: The video frame as numpy array
+          config: Detection configuration
+
+      Returns:
+          Detection results with bounding boxes
+      """
+  ```
+
+- **Comment Style**:
+  - Explain the "why" not just the "what"
+  - Keep lines under 88 characters when possible
+  - Use clear, descriptive comments
+
+### File Organization
+
+- **API Endpoints**: `frigate/api/` - FastAPI route handlers
+- **Configuration**: `frigate/config/` - Configuration parsing and validation
+- **Detectors**: `frigate/detectors/` - Object detection backends
+- **Events**: `frigate/events/` - Event management and storage
+- **Utilities**: `frigate/util/` - Shared utility functions
+
+## Frontend (React/TypeScript) Standards
+
+### Internationalization (i18n)
+
+- **CRITICAL**: Never write user-facing strings directly in components
+- **Always use react-i18next**: Import and use the `t()` function
+
+  ```tsx
+  import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
+
+  function MyComponent() {
+    const { t } = useTranslation(["views/live"]);
+    return <div>{t("camera_not_found")}</div>;
+  }
+  ```
+
+- **Translation Files**: Add English strings to the appropriate json files in `web/public/locales/en`
+- **Namespaces**: Organize translations by feature/view (e.g., `views/live`, `common`, `views/system`)
+
+### Code Quality
+
+- **Linting**: ESLint (see `web/.eslintrc.cjs`)
+- **Formatting**: Prettier with Tailwind CSS plugin
+- **Type Safety**: TypeScript strict mode enabled
+- **Testing**: Vitest for unit tests
+
+### Component Patterns
+
+- **UI Components**: Use Radix UI primitives (in `web/src/components/ui/`)
+- **Styling**: TailwindCSS with `cn()` utility for class merging
+- **State Management**: React hooks (useState, useEffect, useCallback, useMemo)
+- **Data Fetching**: Custom hooks with proper loading and error states
+
+### ESLint Rules
+
+Key rules enforced:
+
+- `react-hooks/rules-of-hooks`: error
+- `react-hooks/exhaustive-deps`: error
+- `no-console`: error (use proper logging or remove)
+- `@typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any`: warn (always use proper types instead of `any`)
+- Unused variables must be prefixed with `_`
+- Comma dangles required for multiline objects/arrays
+
+### File Organization
+
+- **Pages**: `web/src/pages/` - Route components
+- **Views**: `web/src/views/` - Complex view components
+- **Components**: `web/src/components/` - Reusable components
+- **Hooks**: `web/src/hooks/` - Custom React hooks
+- **API**: `web/src/api/` - API client functions
+- **Types**: `web/src/types/` - TypeScript type definitions
+
+## Testing Requirements
+
+### Backend Testing
+
+- **Framework**: Python unittest
+- **Run Command**: `python3 -u -m unittest`
+- **Location**: `frigate/test/`
+- **Coverage**: Aim for comprehensive test coverage of core functionality
+- **Pattern**: Use `TestCase` classes with descriptive test method names
+  ```python
+  class TestMotionDetection(unittest.TestCase):
+      def test_detects_motion_above_threshold(self):
+          # Test implementation
+  ```
+
+### Test Best Practices
+
+- Always have a way to test your work and confirm your changes
+- Write tests for bug fixes to prevent regressions
+- Test edge cases and error conditions
+- Mock external dependencies (cameras, APIs, hardware)
+- Use fixtures for test data
+
+## Development Commands
+
+### Python Backend
+
+```bash
+# Run all tests
+python3 -u -m unittest
+
+# Run specific test file
+python3 -u -m unittest frigate.test.test_ffmpeg_presets
+
+# Check formatting (Ruff)
+ruff format --check frigate/
+
+# Apply formatting
+ruff format frigate/
+
+# Run linter
+ruff check frigate/
+```
+
+### Frontend (from web/ directory)
+
+```bash
+# Start dev server (AI agents should never run this directly unless asked)
+npm run dev
+
+# Build for production
+npm run build
+
+# Run linter
+npm run lint
+
+# Fix linting issues
+npm run lint:fix
+
+# Format code
+npm run prettier:write
+```
+
+### Docker Development
+
+AI agents should never run these commands directly unless instructed.
+
+```bash
+# Build local image
+make local
+
+# Build debug image
+make debug
+```
+
+## Common Patterns
+
+### API Endpoint Pattern
+
+```python
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Request
+from frigate.api.defs.tags import Tags
+
+router = APIRouter(tags=[Tags.Events])
+
+@router.get("/events")
+async def get_events(request: Request, limit: int = 100):
+    """Retrieve events from the database."""
+    # Implementation
+```
+
+### Configuration Access
+
+```python
+# Access Frigate configuration
+config: FrigateConfig = request.app.frigate_config
+camera_config = config.cameras["front_door"]
+```
+
+### Database Queries
+
+```python
+from frigate.models import Event
+
+# Use Peewee ORM for database access
+events = (
+    Event.select()
+    .where(Event.camera == camera_name)
+    .order_by(Event.start_time.desc())
+    .limit(limit)
+)
+```
+
+## Common Anti-Patterns to Avoid
+
+### ❌ Avoid These
+
+```python
+# Blocking operations in async functions
+data = requests.get(url)  # ❌ Use async HTTP client
+time.sleep(5)  # ❌ Use asyncio.sleep()
+
+# Hardcoded strings in React components
+<div>Camera not found</div>  # ❌ Use t("camera_not_found")
+
+# Missing error handling
+data = await api.get_data()  # ❌ No exception handling
+
+# Bare exceptions in regular code
+try:
+    value = await sensor.read()
+except Exception:  # ❌ Too broad
+    logger.error("Failed")
+```
+
+### ✅ Use These Instead
+
+```python
+# Async operations
+import aiohttp
+async with aiohttp.ClientSession() as session:
+    async with session.get(url) as response:
+        data = await response.json()
+
+await asyncio.sleep(5)  # ✅ Non-blocking
+
+# Translatable strings in React
+const { t } = useTranslation();
+<div>{t("camera_not_found")}</div>  # ✅ Translatable
+
+# Proper error handling
+try:
+    data = await api.get_data()
+except ApiException as err:
+    logger.error("API error: %s", err)
+    raise
+
+# Specific exceptions
+try:
+    value = await sensor.read()
+except SensorException as err:  # ✅ Specific
+    logger.exception("Failed to read sensor")
+```
+
+## Project-Specific Conventions
+
+### Configuration Files
+
+- Main config: `config/config.yml`
+
+### Directory Structure
+
+- Backend code: `frigate/`
+- Frontend code: `web/`
+- Docker files: `docker/`
+- Documentation: `docs/`
+- Database migrations: `migrations/`
+
+### Code Style Conformance
+
+Always conform new and refactored code to the existing coding style in the project:
+
+- Follow established patterns in similar files
+- Match indentation and formatting of surrounding code
+- Use consistent naming conventions (snake_case for Python, camelCase for TypeScript)
+- Maintain the same level of verbosity in comments and docstrings
+
+## Additional Resources
+
+- Documentation: https://docs.frigate.video
+- Main Repository: https://github.com/blakeblackshear/frigate
+- Home Assistant Integration: https://github.com/blakeblackshear/frigate-hass-integration