docs: Add UTF-8 encoding guidelines and Windows development guide

.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ Follow conventional commits: `<type>: <subject>`
 - [ ] I've tested my changes locally
 - [ ] I've followed the code principles (SOLID, DRY, KISS)
 - [ ] My PR is small and focused (< 400 lines ideally)
+- [ ] **(Python only)** All file operations specify `encoding="utf-8"` for text files
 
 ## CI/Testing Requirements
 

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -357,6 +357,64 @@ export default function(props) {
 - End files with a newline
 - Keep line length under 100 characters when practical
 
+### File Encoding (Python)
+
+**Always specify `encoding="utf-8"` for text file operations** to ensure Windows compatibility.
+
+Windows Python defaults to `cp1252` encoding instead of UTF-8, causing errors with:
+- Emoji (🚀, ✅, ❌)
+- International characters (ñ, é, 中文, العربية)
+- Special symbols (™, ©, ®)
+
+**DO:**
+
+```python
+# Reading files
+with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
+    content = f.read()
+
+# Writing files
+with open(path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+    f.write(content)
+
+# Path methods
+from pathlib import Path
+content = Path(file).read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+Path(file).write_text(content, encoding="utf-8")
+
+# JSON files - reading
+import json
+with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
+    data = json.load(f)
+
+# JSON files - writing
+with open(path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
+    json.dump(data, f, ensure_ascii=False, indent=2)
+```
+
+**DON'T:**
+
+```python
+# Wrong - platform-dependent encoding
+with open(path) as f:
+    content = f.read()
+
+# Wrong - Path methods without encoding
+content = Path(file).read_text()
+
+# Wrong - encoding on json.dump (not open!)
+json.dump(data, f, encoding="utf-8")  # ERROR
+```
+
+**Binary files - NO encoding:**
+
+```python
+with open(path, "rb") as f:  # Correct
+    data = f.read()
+```
+
+Our pre-commit hooks automatically check for missing encoding parameters. See [PR #782](https://github.com/AndyMik90/Auto-Claude/pull/782) for the comprehensive encoding fix and [guides/windows-development.md](guides/windows-development.md) for Windows-specific development guidance.
+
 ## Testing
 
 ### Python Tests

guides/README.md

@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ Detailed documentation for Auto Claude setup and usage.
 | Guide | Description |
 |-------|-------------|
 | **[CLI-USAGE.md](CLI-USAGE.md)** | Terminal-only usage for power users, headless servers, and CI/CD |
+| **[windows-development.md](windows-development.md)** | Windows-specific development guide (file encoding, paths, line endings) |
+| **[linux.md](linux.md)** | Linux-specific installation and build guide (Flatpak, AppImage) |
 
 ## Quick Links