Build Walkthrough
A comprehensive 7-part guide documenting how to build the entire Budget App from scratch — from the first git init to a packaged Electron desktop application.
Project Setup & Foundation
Repository structure, Python and Node dependencies, environment variables, Vite config, and the start.sh launcher.
Database Models & Backend Core
SQLite with WAL mode, all 8 SQLAlchemy ORM models, lightweight migrations, and the FastAPI app with lifespan management.
Plaid Integration & Account Management
Connecting bank accounts, Fernet-encrypted access tokens, cursor-based incremental syncing, and OAuth callback handling.
Transaction Processing & Categorization
The 3-tier priority cascade: amount rules, merchant mappings, and Claude AI. Plus the review workflow, CSV import, and seed data.
Frontend & React UI
All 13+ pages including Review Queue, Spending, Cash Flow, Recurring, Budget, Investments, and AI Insights. Routing, Recharts, and dark theme CSS.
Advanced Features
Streaming AI financial insights, investment portfolio tracking with yfinance, APScheduler background sync, and the macOS LaunchAgent daemon.
Electron Desktop App & Deployment
Electron main process, backend-manager, PyInstaller bundling, electron-builder packaging, and the complete API endpoint reference.