March 2014:
I just downloaded an Excel file from FRED. As it happens, I have two graphs on the screen: CMDEBT relative to GDP, and GDP relative to CMDEBT. I decided to use the data from the GDP relative to CMDEBT graph. So I downloaded that, opened the file, and glanced at the column header above the first data. CMDEBT_GDP, it says.
Did I download data from the wrong graph? I had to stop and check.
This happened to me once before, just the other day. I didn't know what the problem was, but I did notice the fluke. So I was ready for it when I found it just now.
When I first made the graph it showed CMDEBT. Then I added GDP. So I think that's what the CMDEBT_GDP is, a list of the data series in the order they are added to the graph. It definitely does not show the data relation, which is GDP / CMDEBT.
Maybe this isn't a big deal, if you know about it. But if it catches you by surprise it can mess up your work.
I don't know if this happened in the days before FRED's May 2016 revision. I don't think it did happen, but I can't say for sure.
1 comment:
I used the download to make a graph in Excel. Excel put a title on the graph automatically. For the title, Excel used the column header text.
A graph is automatically given the wrong title because of this fluke. This is a bigger problem than I first thought.
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