Inspiration
FinanceFriend was inspired by a desire to address common challenges student face when managing their finances. I recognized that many individuals struggle with planning for the future, understanding risks, and analyzing bills efficiently. They saw an opportunity to leverage technology to provide a comprehensive solution that could empower students to take control of their financial lives. In financial field only budgeting app are build but what about other financial challenges. The idea stemmed when one day I was struggling to take a financial risk and I needed a Financial Advisor, but I didn't find any reliable and one stop solution.
What it does
FinanceFriend is a web application designed to empower users with smart financial management tools, personalized financial planning, comprehensive risk management, and efficient bill analysis. Whether you're just starting your financial journey or looking to optimize your existing financial strategy, FinanceFriend provides the tools and insights you need to make informed decisions and achieve your financial goals.
How we built it
I built it using PERN stack. Frontend - Our frontend development primarily revolved around React.js, a popular JavaScript library for building user interfaces. We utilized React's component-based architecture to create a modular and scalable frontend structure. Backend - Node.js, along with Express.js, formed the backbone of our backend infrastructure. Node.js provided a non-blocking, event-driven architecture, ensuring optimal performance and scalability for handling concurrent requests. Database - For robust data management and persistence, we relied on PostgreSQL, a powerful open-source relational database system. External API - We seamlessly integrated the Gemini API to provide users with real-time financial data and insights, expanding the application's capabilities and utility.
Challenges we ran into
A significant challenge I encountered was implementing access tokens and refresh tokens without relying on local storage. It required extensive research through documentation and Stack Overflow answers to find a viable solution. Similarly, when attempting to implement text-to-speech using the Speech Synthesis API, I encountered different types of bugs with each code change. However, by persisting and seeking solutions on Stack Overflow, I successfully overcame these challenges. This experience significantly improved my resilience and problem-solving skills, reinforcing the importance of perseverance in overcoming coding obstacles.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
1 Successful Implementation of Access and Refresh Tokens: Overcoming the challenge of implementing access tokens and refresh tokens without relying on local storage demonstrates proficiency in security practices and enhances the application's reliability and user experience. 2 Integration of External APIs: Incorporating the Gemini API showcases the ability to leverage third-party services to enhance functionality within FinanceFriend, expanding its capabilities and utility for users. 3 PDF Generation for Instant Downloads: Developing the feature to generate PDFs using the pdfkit library enables users to easily save and share financial reports or summaries, enhancing the practicality and convenience of the application.
What we learned
During this project, I acquired several new technical skills, including handling access tokens and refresh tokens without storing them in local storage, utilizing axios interceptors for filtering requests and responses, integrating the Gemini API, creating PDFs using the pdfkit library for instant downloads, handling files with multer, enabling text-to-speech functionality using the Speech Synthesis API, and structuring industry-level backend APIs with multiple folders like model, controller, routes, and middleware. Additionally, I adopted various minor technical approaches to ensure clean code.
What's next for FinanceFriend
Future enhancements in FinanceFriend include:
1 Multi-language Support 2 Financial Planning for Career Transitions 3 Professional Financial Advisors sessions
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