Glossary

DataFrame

A two-dimensional, size-mutable, and heterogeneous tabular data structure commonly used in data analysis and machine learning workflows. Provided by libraries like pandas, polars, and dask. See also: GeoDataFrame.

GeoDataFrame

An extension of a DataFrame for managing geospatial data with spatial operations. Available through libraries like geopandas and dask_geopandas. Often used alongside shapely and pyproj for geospatial analysis.

async

Short for asynchronous programming in Python, enabling non-blocking execution of code using the asyncio event loop. Critical for high-performance applications such as concurrent API data retrieval.

caching

Temporarily storing API responses locally to improve performance and reduce redundant network requests. FedFred supports cache mode to enhance API efficiency.

vintage

A snapshot of a time series dataset as published on a specific date, useful for real-time macroeconomic analysis and backtesting. Related to vintage economic data revision studies.

rate limiting

A method of controlling the number of API requests over time to prevent exceeding service quotas. Essential when interacting with the FRED® API to avoid request throttling.

retry strategy

Automatic re-attempting of failed API requests, typically due to transient network errors, using exponential backoff or fixed intervals. Often implemented together with rate limiting and caching.

ETL

Extract, Transform, Load — a common workflow for data ingestion and preprocessing, especially in data pipelines and analytics projects. Often involves working with DataFrame and geospatial extensions like GeoDataFrame.

API key

A unique credential provided by the St. Louis Fed to authenticate and authorize access to the FRED® API. Required for making requests to endpoints covered in fedfred.clients.FredAPI.

GeoFRED

The geospatial visualization and mapping extension of the FRED database, offering regional economic data through choropleth maps. Related functionality is supported in fedfred.clients.MapsAPI.

cache mode

A configuration option in FedFred that enables local caching of API responses, improving retrieval speed and reducing reliance on repeated network calls. See also: caching.