Expense Tracker

A comprehensive expense tracking web application built with React, Express.js, and MySQL. Features include expense management, visual analytics, reporting, and a recycle bin for deleted items.

Features

• 📊 Dashboard with summary cards and interactive charts
• 💰 Expense Management - Add, edit, delete expenses with instant actions
• 📈 Visual Analytics - Charts showing spending trends (30/90 days)
• 📑 Reports - Payment method breakdown with CSV export
• 🗑️ Recycle Bin - Restore or permanently delete expenses
• 🌙 Dark/Light Theme - Toggle between themes with font size options
• 💱 Indian Rupee Support - Native currency formatting
• 📱 Responsive Design - Works on desktop and mobile

Tech Stack

• Frontend: React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Shadcn/ui
• Backend: Express.js, TypeScript
• Database: MySQL with Drizzle ORM
• Charts: Chart.js
• State Management: TanStack Query

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• MySQL 5.7+ or MySQL 8.0+
• npm or yarn

Local Setup Instructions

1. Clone the Repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd expense-tracker

2. Install Dependencies

npm install

3. Database Setup

Option A: Local MySQL Installation

1. Install MySQL on your system
2. Create a new database:

CREATE DATABASE expense_tracker;

Option B: Using Docker

docker run --name mysql-expense-tracker \
  -e MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD=password \
  -e MYSQL_DATABASE=expense_tracker \
  -p 3306:3306 \
  -d mysql:8.0

4. Environment Configuration

1. Copy the example environment file:

cp .env.example .env

2. Update the .env file with your MySQL connection details:

DATABASE_URL=mysql://username:password@localhost:3306/expense_tracker
NODE_ENV=development
PORT=5000

Replace the following in your DATABASE_URL:

• username - Your MySQL username (e.g., root)
• password - Your MySQL password
• localhost:3306 - Your MySQL host and port
• expense_tracker - Your database name

5. Database Migration

Run the database migrations to create tables:

npm run db:push

6. Start the Application

npm run dev

The application will be available at: http://localhost:5000

Production Deployment

1. Build the Application

npm run build

2. Set Environment Variables

export DATABASE_URL="mysql://username:password@your-mysql-host:3306/expense_tracker"
export NODE_ENV=production
export PORT=5000

3. Run Database Migrations

npm run db:push

4. Start the Server

npm start

Database Schema

The application uses three main tables:

• expenses - Main expense records
• deleted_expenses - Recycle bin for deleted expenses
• users - User accounts (for future authentication)

Environment Variables

Variable	Description	Example
DATABASE_URL	MySQL connection string	mysql://user:pass@localhost:3306/db
NODE_ENV	Environment mode	development or production
PORT	Server port	5000

API Endpoints

Expenses

• GET /api/expenses - Get all expenses
• POST /api/expenses - Create expense
• PUT /api/expenses/:id - Update expense
• DELETE /api/expenses/:id - Delete expense (moves to recycle bin)

Analytics

• GET /api/expenses/analytics/summary - Get expense summary
• GET /api/expenses/analytics/daily?days=30 - Get daily analytics

Recycle Bin

• GET /api/deleted-expenses - Get deleted expenses
• POST /api/deleted-expenses/:id/restore - Restore expense
• DELETE /api/deleted-expenses/:id - Permanently delete
• DELETE /api/deleted-expenses - Clear recycle bin

Export

• GET /api/expenses/export/csv - Export expenses as CSV

Customization

Changing Database Connection

To use a different MySQL database, simply update the DATABASE_URL in your .env file:

DATABASE_URL=mysql://new_user:new_password@new_host:3306/new_database

Adding Categories

Edit the category options in:

• client/src/components/add-expense-modal.tsx
• client/src/components/edit-expense-modal.tsx
• client/src/pages/dashboard.tsx

Payment Methods

Edit payment method options in the same modal files to add or modify payment types.

Troubleshooting

Database Connection Issues

1. Verify MySQL is running: mysql -u username -p
2. Check database exists: SHOW DATABASES;
3. Verify connection string format
4. Check firewall settings for MySQL port (3306)

Build Issues

1. Clear node_modules: rm -rf node_modules && npm install
2. Clear build cache: npm run clean
3. Check Node.js version: node --version (should be 18+)

Migration Issues

1. Check database permissions
2. Run: npm run db:generate then npm run db:push
3. Manually create database if needed

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.