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Turn a 5,000-transaction spreadsheet into an offline finance app with Gemini and Claude
WorkedEvidence: Described by posterPosted Last checked
Tony Phillips turned a 5,000-transaction spreadsheet into an offline finance app with Gemini and Claude, without writing code.
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Prompt
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Build a polished standalone personal finance transaction tracker as a single self-contained HTML file. Use the attached CSV file as the app's initial transaction data. The app must work completely offline after the HTML file has been created. Data The CSV contains these fields: Transaction ID Date Amount Description Category Budget Group Account Name Account Type Import all transactions from the CSV accurately. Treat Amount as numeric monetary data and display all monetary amounts in US dollars (USD). Treat Date as a date rather than text. Transaction management The app must allow me to: View all transactions in a clear table. Search transactions across relevant fields. Sort the transaction table by clicking column headers. Filter transactions by date, Category, Budget Group, Account Name, and Account Type. Add a new transaction. Edit an existing transaction. Delete a transaction. Have the transaction list update immediately after adding, editing, or deleting a transaction. Have all totals and filtered results update immediately after changes. Dashboard Include a simple dashboard showing: Total amount Number of transactions Average transaction amount Largest transaction The dashboard should update automatically whenever the underlying transaction data changes or filters are applied. Persistence Store the transaction data locally in the browser so that transactions I add, edit, or delete remain when I close and reopen the HTML file. Design and technical requirements Make the interface polished, clear, and easy to use on a desktop. Keep the design focused on managing transactions rather than adding unnecessary features. Use only HTML, CSS, and JavaScript contained within the single HTML file. Do not use external libraries, CDNs, APIs, servers, or online resources. The finished HTML file must function without an internet connection. Do not ask me follow-up questions. Make reasonable implementation decisions yourself. Before returning the finished application, test every interactive feature. Do not include controls that are non-functional. In particular, verify that sorting, searching, filtering, adding, editing, deleting, calculations, and local persistence all work correctly. Return the completed application as a single HTML file that I can save and open locally in a browser.
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Optional stronger version
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Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: Turn my transaction spreadsheet into a simple offline app I can search, filter and edit. Questions to ask me first: - Which columns does the file have, and how many rows? - Which filters and summary numbers matter most? - Which browser and computer will you open it on? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - File: [CSV NAME / ROW COUNT] - Columns: [COLUMN NAMES] - Filters: [DATE / CATEGORY / ACCOUNT / OTHER] - Dashboard numbers: [TOTALS TO SHOW] - Currency: [CURRENCY] Rules: - One self-contained HTML file using only HTML, CSS and JavaScript. - No internet, outside libraries or servers. - Save changes in the browser and say clearly that clearing browser data deletes them. - Don't add buttons that don't work. Checkpoint: List the screens and features you plan to build and wait for my OK. If you get stuck: If the file is too large to process in one go, say so and suggest a way to split it. Verify before you finish: Test importing, searching, sorting, filtering, adding, editing, deleting and reopening, and tell me the row count you imported. Output: The single HTML file and a short how-to-use note. Done when: The app opens offline with every transaction and all features work.
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Your prompt
Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish. Goal: Turn my transaction spreadsheet into a simple offline app I can search, filter and edit. Questions to ask me first: - Which columns does the file have, and how many rows? - Which filters and summary numbers matter most? - Which browser and computer will you open it on? Inputs (fill in or confirm): - File: [CSV NAME / ROW COUNT] - Columns: [COLUMN NAMES] - Filters: [DATE / CATEGORY / ACCOUNT / OTHER] - Dashboard numbers: [TOTALS TO SHOW] - Currency: [CURRENCY] Rules: - One self-contained HTML file using only HTML, CSS and JavaScript. - No internet, outside libraries or servers. - Save changes in the browser and say clearly that clearing browser data deletes them. - Don't add buttons that don't work. Checkpoint: List the screens and features you plan to build and wait for my OK. If you get stuck: If the file is too large to process in one go, say so and suggest a way to split it. Verify before you finish: Test importing, searching, sorting, filtering, adding, editing, deleting and reopening, and tell me the row count you imported. Output: The single HTML file and a short how-to-use note. Done when: The app opens offline with every transaction and all features work.
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Outcome
Tony Phillips of How-To Geek saved a 5,000-transaction personal finance spreadsheet as a CSV and asked Copilot, Gemini and Claude to turn it into a standalone offline app in a single HTML file, with search, sorting, filters, add, edit and delete, a small dashboard and changes saved in the browser. Copilot never produced a usable app across several tries in the web, desktop and Excel versions. Gemini and Claude both imported all 5,000 transactions and built working, polished apps that opened as standalone files; their filters worked, though neither narrowed one filter's options based on another. Claude's table looked cleaner, Gemini handled navigation better, and Phillips preferred Gemini's version overall. Phillips didn't write any code and shared the full prompt.
Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.
Source
- Posted
- by Tony Phillips (How-To Geek)
- Last checked
- Method:
- How we verify
Context: Original prompt: the full prompt shared at the end of the article. Copilot was also tried and didn't produce a usable app. How-To Geek earns affiliate commissions.
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