FRED Economic Data Dashboard

This project is a dashboard that displays economic data from the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) using a React frontend and a Python Flask backend.

Features

• Fetch and display economic data from FRED
• Add multiple charts to the dashboard
• Each chart is color-coded for easy differentiation
• Responsive design for various screen sizes

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm (for React frontend)
• Python 3.7+ (for Flask backend)
• FRED API key (obtain from https://fred.stlouisfed.org/docs/api/api_key.html)

Setup

Backend Setup

1. Navigate to the backend directory:

   cd backend

2. Create a virtual environment and activate it:

   python -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows, use `venv\Scripts\activate`

3. Install the required Python packages:

   pip install flask flask-cors fredapi python-dotenv

4. Create a .env file in the backend directory and add your FRED API key:

   FRED_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

5. Run the Flask server:

   python app.py

The backend should now be running on http://localhost:5000.

Frontend Setup

1. Navigate to the frontend directory:

   cd frontend

2. Install the required npm packages:

   npm install

3. Start the React development server:

   npm start

The frontend should now be running on http://localhost:3000.

Usage

1. Open your web browser and go to http://localhost:3000.
2. You'll see a default chart displaying GDP data.
3. To add a new chart:
   • Enter a FRED series ID in the input field (e.g., 'UNRATE' for unemployment rate)
   • Click the "Add Chart" button
4. The new chart will appear below the existing ones.
5. Each chart will have a unique color for easy differentiation.

FRED Series IDs

Here are some example FRED series IDs you can use:

• GDP: Gross Domestic Product
• UNRATE: Unemployment Rate
• CPIAUCSL: Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers
• FEDFUNDS: Federal Funds Effective Rate
• M2: M2 Money Stock

For more series IDs, visit the FRED website and search for the economic data you're interested in.

Troubleshooting

• If charts are not displaying, check the browser console for error messages.
• Ensure both the backend and frontend servers are running.
• Verify that your FRED API key is correct and properly set in the .env file.

Contributing

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

License

This project is open source and available under the MIT License.