Downloading Real Time Data from FRED (fImport/fredSeries)
Research wrote:
Hi, I was looking at the API for ALFRED: http://api.stlouisfed.org/docs/fred/realtime_period.html http://api.stlouisfed.org/docs/fred/series_release.html ALFRED is like FRED but provides us with real-time data, i.e., data for macroeconomic variables as they were originaly announced (released) and not the revised (finalised) data which FRED contains. These are useful for real-time econometric applications. I was wondering, how can one use the existing routines/packages that access FRED, to access ALFRED. From what I have checked so far, the mnemonics appear to be the same on FRED and ALFRED for the same series (say PAYMES for non-farm payrolls).
I haven't used the fImport function, but quantmod has a similar function, so I'll use that in my examople on modifying, the details should be quite similar. look at function: getSymbols.FRED copy this to function getSymbols.ALFRED modify it to include a parameter for the api key, or better yet register one for the project. then modify the line starting with download.file to reflect the new required URL. While the Symbol may be the same, the url is clearly different test and share with the community Regards, - Brian
Brian G. Peterson http://braverock.com/brian/ Ph: 773-459-4973 IM: bgpbraverock