Here’s how you can structure the detailed project plan into a clear and concise **README** file for your personal finance tracker project. --- # Personal Finance Tracker ## Overview The **Personal Finance Tracker** is a web application designed to help users track their income, expenses, and budgets. Users can input transactions, categorize them, and view their financial summaries through data visualizations. This project uses **React** with **Material UI** on the frontend, **Flask** as the backend API, and **PostgreSQL** as the database. The app will be containerized with **Docker** for easy deployment. ## Features - **User Authentication** - Register and log in to access personal financial data. - **Transaction Management** - Add, edit, and delete transactions (income/expenses). - Categorize transactions (e.g., groceries, bills, entertainment). - **Budgeting** - Set monthly budgets for different categories. - Visualize budget progress for each category. - **Dashboard with Data Visualization** - Overview of income, expenses, and net balance. - Pie charts and bar charts for expense categorization and monthly summaries. - **Reports** - Generate and download monthly or yearly financial reports in PDF format. ## Technologies ### Frontend: - **React**: For building interactive UI components. - **Material UI**: Pre-built components and design framework for a responsive and polished frontend. - **Axios**: For making HTTP requests to the backend API. ### Backend: - **Flask**: Python web framework for building the API. - **SQLAlchemy**: ORM (Object Relational Mapper) for interacting with PostgreSQL. - **Flask-CORS**: To allow cross-origin requests from the frontend. ### Database: - **PostgreSQL**: Relational database to store user transactions, budgets, and categories. ### Containerization: - **Docker**: For containerizing the frontend, backend, and database services. - **Docker Compose**: To manage multiple containers (React, Flask, PostgreSQL). ## Project Architecture The project follows the **Model-View-Controller (MVC)** architecture: - **Model**: Handles the data and business logic (PostgreSQL with SQLAlchemy models). - **View**: User interface components built with React and Material UI. - **Controller**: Flask API to handle requests, process data, and send responses. ## Setup Instructions ### 1. Clone the Repository ```bash git clone https://github.com/yourusername/personal-finance-tracker.git cd personal-finance-tracker ``` ### 2. Set Up Docker The project is fully containerized using Docker and Docker Compose. The Docker Compose file orchestrates the frontend (React), backend (Flask), and database (PostgreSQL) services. #### Build and Start the Containers: ```bash docker-compose up --build ``` This will: - Set up the PostgreSQL database. - Start the Flask API. - Serve the React app on `http://localhost:3000`. ### 3. Database Migrations To set up the PostgreSQL database and tables, run the following Flask migration commands: ```bash docker exec -it <backend-container-id> flask db init docker exec -it <backend-container-id> flask db migrate -m "Initial migration" docker exec -it <backend-container-id> flask db upgrade ``` ### 4. Access the Application Once the containers are up and running, you can access the application via your browser at `http://localhost:3000`. - **Frontend**: React app will be running on port 3000. - **Backend API**: Flask API will be accessible at `http://localhost:5000`. ### 5. Running Tests - **Backend (Flask)**: Use `Pytest` for testing Flask routes and business logic. To run the tests: ```bash docker exec -it <backend-container-id> pytest ``` - **Frontend (React)**: Use `Jest` for testing React components. To run the tests: ```bash cd frontend npm test ``` ## Project Structure ``` personal-finance-tracker/ │ ├── backend/ # Flask backend │ ├── app.py # Main API routes │ ├── models.py # SQLAlchemy database models │ ├── migrations/ # Database migrations │ └── tests/ # Pytest-based tests │ ├── frontend/ # React frontend │ ├── src/ │ │ ├── components/ # React components (AddTransaction, Dashboard, etc.) │ │ ├── App.js # Main app component │ │ └── index.js # Entry point │ └── public/ │ ├── docker-compose.yml # Docker Compose configuration ├── Dockerfile # Dockerfile for Flask backend └── README.md # Project README ``` ## Future Improvements - **Recurring Transactions**: Automate recurring expenses and income entries (e.g., rent, salary). - **Savings Goals**: Allow users to set savings goals and track progress. - **Machine Learning**: Add machine learning algorithms to predict future expenses based on historical data. - **Notifications**: Notify users when they approach or exceed their budgets. --- This README should give you a solid foundation for your project, outlining its structure, setup, and future possibilities. Let me know if you want to tweak or expand it further!