JavaExpenseTracker

Expense Tracker

A Java Swing application for tracking and visualizing personal expenses.

![Expense Tracker Screenshot]

Features

• Add Expenses: Enter expense details including amount, description, category, and date
• Multiple Views:
  • Summary View: Get a clear overview of your spending patterns with percentages
  • Detailed View: See all your expenses in a tabular format
  • Chart View: Visualize expense distribution with an interactive pie chart
• Expense Management:
  • Filter expenses by category
  • Delete unwanted expenses
  • Automatic sorting by date (newest first)
• Data Persistence: All expense data is automatically saved to a file
• Export Functionality: Export summaries to text files for record-keeping

Requirements

• Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 8 or higher
• Swing (included in standard Java installation)

Installation

1. Download the Expense Tracker JAR file from the releases section
2. Ensure you have Java installed on your system
3. Run the application using:

   java -jar ExpenseTracker.jar
   

Usage Guide

Adding an Expense

1. Enter the expense amount in the "Amount" field
2. Choose or type a category in the "Category" dropdown
3. Provide a description (optional)
4. Select the date of the expense using the date chooser
5. Click "Add Expense" to record it
6. Use "Clear Fields" to reset the form

Viewing Expenses

Navigate between different views using the tabs:

• Summary: Shows total expenses by category with percentages
• Detailed View: Displays all expenses in a sortable table
• Charts: Visualizes expense distribution in a pie chart

Managing Expenses

• Delete: Select an expense in the detailed view and click "Delete Selected"
• Filter: Click "Filter By Category" to view expenses from a specific category
• Export: Click "Export Summary" to save your expense summary as a text file

Data Storage

The application automatically saves your expenses to a file named expenses.txt in the application directory. This file is loaded each time you start the application and updated when you close it.

Building from Source

To build the application from source:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/username/expense-tracker.git
   

2. Open the project in your Java IDE (Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, etc.)
3. Build the project using your IDE's build command or with:

   javac ExpenseTracker.java
   

4. Run the compiled application:

   java ExpenseTracker
   

Customization

You can customize the application by:

• Modifying the categories in the categories array
• Changing the currency symbol (currently ₹) in the formatter strings
• Adjusting the UI colors in the chart generation code

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Built with Java Swing for the user interface
• Uses simple file I/O for data persistence
• Custom chart rendering for expense visualization