Unleashing AI: How I Built a Multi-Language Financial Calculator Website on My Own

I never imagined that, as an ASP.NET Core MVC engineer with little background in UI design or front-end development, I could create a fully functional, multi-language website from scratch. Today, I’d like to share my journey of using AI tools to build a website that offers diverse financial calculators—all while overcoming challenges, debugging algorithms, and learning along the way. Embracing the AI Revolution in Web Development For years, I faced the typical developer dilemma: an abundance of technical expertise in back-end logic but a persistent gap in UI design skills and front-end finesse. Enter AI. With a suite of powerful AI tools at my disposal, my workflow transformed from a daunting multi-disciplinary project into a streamlined, manageable process. I relied on three main tools: Visily (https://app.visily.ai/): I used Visily to generate website prototypes and design blueprints, which allowed me to visualize the website layout without needing extensive design expertise. The Visily prototype of www.finance-calculator.org Trae (https://www.trae.ai/): This tool, powered by the Claude 3.7 programming model, became my indispensable coding partner. Trae generated Bootstrap-based static webpages and even created critical source code for various calculators, including compound interest, mortgage, periodic installment compound interest, and stock average price calculators. Visual Studio 2022: I integrated the AI-generated code into my ASP.NET Core MVC project, using Visual Studio with Bootstrap to create polished static pages. This combination of robust development tools and AI assistance empowered me to complete an entire website all by myself. The Project Unfolds: From Concept to Live Website The project was both exhilarating and challenging. I set out with one purpose in mind: to develop a multi-lingual financial calculator platform (visit Finance-Calculator.org) that could serve users around the globe with tools like mortgage calculators and compound interest calculators. The journey, however, was not without its hurdles. The Calculators: A Blend of Simplicity and Complexity I developed four main calculators: Mortgage Calculator Compound Interest Calculator Periodic Installment Compound Interest Calculator Stock Average Price Calculator While the UI design took the smallest slice of my time—thanks to AI-driven prototypes—the underlying calculation algorithms demanded much more attention and effort. Navigating Algorithmic Challenges with AI The development of the periodic installment compound interest calculator became a case study in AI-assisted debugging. Initially, the AI-generated code attempted to separately generate monthly and yearly data tables. This separation led to logical mismatches and introduced a host of bugs that made the output unreliable. I spent countless hours debugging and testing these calculations. After evaluating several models—GPT-4, Deepseek, and finally Claude—I realized that Claude’s logical prowess and superior bug-detection abilities were unmatched. Yet, even the best AI occasionally generated imperfect code. The breakthrough came when I instructed the AI to generate only the monthly data. I then wrote additional code to aggregate these monthly results into yearly summaries. This approach not only simplified the logic but also ensured consistency across calculations. The process of iterating on this solution took over two days—but it was a pivotal learning experience that solidified my trust in combining AI with human oversight. Reflections on the Journey: A New Era for Solo Developers The entire experience has been a paradigm shift. What once felt like an insurmountable task—developing a full-fledged website with advanced financial calculators—became entirely feasible with the help of AI tools. Although I’m comfortable with back-end engineering, the challenge of integrating AI into development illuminated a path for solo developers who lack well-rounded expertise in every domain. By using AI, I learned several powerful lessons: Efficiency: AI tools like Trae dramatically reduce the time spent on routine coding tasks. Collaboration: The role of AI as a coding partner is akin to collaborating with another developer who lends unique insights—you still need to direct, refine, and sometimes even overhaul the output. Continuous Learning: Each bug and subsequent solution provided me with a deeper understanding of programming logic and algorithm design. Cost-Effective Innovation: Tools like Trae are currently free, making innovation accessible even when budget constraints loom large. I understand that alternatives like Cursor might come with a hefty price tag, which makes the current free offerings even more exciting. Conclusion: A Blueprint for Future Innovators The creation of the multi-language financial calculator website stands as a testament to the transformative power of AI in

Apr 5, 2025 - 03:26

Unleashing AI: How I Built a Multi-Language Financial Calculator Website on My Own

I never imagined that, as an ASP.NET Core MVC engineer with little background in UI design or front-end development, I could create a fully functional, multi-language website from scratch. Today, I’d like to share my journey of using AI tools to build a website that offers diverse financial calculators—all while overcoming challenges, debugging algorithms, and learning along the way.

Embracing the AI Revolution in Web Development

For years, I faced the typical developer dilemma: an abundance of technical expertise in back-end logic but a persistent gap in UI design skills and front-end finesse. Enter AI. With a suite of powerful AI tools at my disposal, my workflow transformed from a daunting multi-disciplinary project into a streamlined, manageable process. I relied on three main tools:

Visily (https://app.visily.ai/): I used Visily to generate website prototypes and design blueprints, which allowed me to visualize the website layout without needing extensive design expertise.

The Visily prototype of www.finance-calculator.org

Trae (https://www.trae.ai/): This tool, powered by the Claude 3.7 programming model, became my indispensable coding partner. Trae generated Bootstrap-based static webpages and even created critical source code for various calculators, including compound interest, mortgage, periodic installment compound interest, and stock average price calculators.

Visual Studio 2022: I integrated the AI-generated code into my ASP.NET Core MVC project, using Visual Studio with Bootstrap to create polished static pages. This combination of robust development tools and AI assistance empowered me to complete an entire website all by myself.

The Project Unfolds: From Concept to Live Website

The project was both exhilarating and challenging. I set out with one purpose in mind: to develop a multi-lingual financial calculator platform (visit Finance-Calculator.org) that could serve users around the globe with tools like mortgage calculators and compound interest calculators. The journey, however, was not without its hurdles.

The Calculators: A Blend of Simplicity and Complexity
I developed four main calculators:

Mortgage Calculator

Compound Interest Calculator

Periodic Installment Compound Interest Calculator

Stock Average Price Calculator

While the UI design took the smallest slice of my time—thanks to AI-driven prototypes—the underlying calculation algorithms demanded much more attention and effort.

Navigating Algorithmic Challenges with AI

The development of the periodic installment compound interest calculator became a case study in AI-assisted debugging. Initially, the AI-generated code attempted to separately generate monthly and yearly data tables. This separation led to logical mismatches and introduced a host of bugs that made the output unreliable.

I spent countless hours debugging and testing these calculations. After evaluating several models—GPT-4, Deepseek, and finally Claude—I realized that Claude’s logical prowess and superior bug-detection abilities were unmatched. Yet, even the best AI occasionally generated imperfect code.

The breakthrough came when I instructed the AI to generate only the monthly data. I then wrote additional code to aggregate these monthly results into yearly summaries. This approach not only simplified the logic but also ensured consistency across calculations. The process of iterating on this solution took over two days—but it was a pivotal learning experience that solidified my trust in combining AI with human oversight.

Reflections on the Journey: A New Era for Solo Developers

The entire experience has been a paradigm shift. What once felt like an insurmountable task—developing a full-fledged website with advanced financial calculators—became entirely feasible with the help of AI tools. Although I’m comfortable with back-end engineering, the challenge of integrating AI into development illuminated a path for solo developers who lack well-rounded expertise in every domain.

By using AI, I learned several powerful lessons:

Efficiency: AI tools like Trae dramatically reduce the time spent on routine coding tasks.

Collaboration: The role of AI as a coding partner is akin to collaborating with another developer who lends unique insights—you still need to direct, refine, and sometimes even overhaul the output.

Continuous Learning: Each bug and subsequent solution provided me with a deeper understanding of programming logic and algorithm design.

Cost-Effective Innovation: Tools like Trae are currently free, making innovation accessible even when budget constraints loom large. I understand that alternatives like Cursor might come with a hefty price tag, which makes the current free offerings even more exciting.

Conclusion: A Blueprint for Future Innovators

The creation of the multi-language financial calculator website stands as a testament to the transformative power of AI in web development. I embarked on this journey armed with a few AI-powered tools, a strong foundation in ASP.NET Core MVC, and an unwavering determination to overcome my limitations. Today, my website is not only a functional financial hub but also a symbol of innovation—a beacon for developers looking to leverage AI to unlock their full potential.

As we move forward, the interplay between human ingenuity and AI capabilities will continue to reshape how we approach development. This story is for every developer who has ever felt constrained by their skill set; with the right tools and a bit of perseverance, innovation knows no bounds.

Feel free to check out my project at Finance-Calculator.org and join the conversation on how AI is revolutionizing individual creativity in web development.

I hope this story inspires you to rethink your limitations, embrace emerging technologies, and turn your innovative ideas into reality. Let’s continue to harness the power of AI and shape the future of development—one brilliant code line at a time.