OpenBB/website/content/api/_index.md

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- [GST python API](#gst-python-api)
- [Python environment setup](#python-environment-setup)
- [Understanding the API functions](#understanding-the-api-functions)
- [Usage examples](#usage-examples)
- [External matplotlib axes support](#external-matplotlib-axes-support)

## GST python API

The GST python API was created to enable usage of the terminal functionality in python
scripts and IPython Notebooks (Jupyter).
The API wraps the functionality of the terminal in a way that the python commands follow
the same convention as the terminal.

For example `stocks/load aapl` becomes `openbb.stocks.load("aapl")`.

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## Python environment setup

Import the GST API into your python script or notebook with

```python
from openbb_terminal import api as openbb
```

## Understanding the API functions

To understand the parameters of an API function the simplest way is to refer to the
docstring. Docstrings can be viewed using the code introspection tools of your
text/notebook editor or the built-in python `help` command. Docstrings contain both the
description of the functionality and the overview of the parameters.

As an example this is the docstring of `openbb.economy.bigmac`:

```txt
Display Big Mac Index for given countries

Parameters
----------
country_codes : List[str]
    List of country codes to get for
raw : bool, optional
    Flag to display raw data, by default False
export : str, optional
    Format data, by default ""
external_axes : Optional[List[plt.Axes]], optional
    External axes (3 axes are expected in the list), by default None
```

## Usage examples

Load stock data into a dataframe:

```python
aapl_data = openbb.stocks.load(
    ticker="aapl",
    start="2021-06-10",
)
aapl_data = openbb.stocks.process_candle(aapl_data)
```

Plot candle chart

```python
openbb.stocks.candle("AAPL", aapl_data, True)
```

Call the "What if" command of the backtesting menu

```python
openbb.stocks.bt.whatif("aapl", 10, datetime.strptime("2012-03-03", "%Y-%m-%d"))
```

Get sentiment for a list of tickers

```python
openbb.stocks.ca.models.finbrain.get_sentiments(tickers=["aapl"])
```

Print key fundamental metrics for past 2 years

```python
openbb.stocks.fa.fmp.metrics(ticker="AAPL", number=2)
```

Get fundamental metrics for past 3 years as a pandas dataframe

```python
openbb.stocks.fa.fmp.models.fmp.get_key_metrics(ticker="AAPL", number=3)
```

Perform an OLS regression on multiple custom datasets

```python
openbb.econometrics.ols(
    regression_variables=[
    'close-tsla', 'volume-aapl'
    ],
    data={"aapl":aapl_data,"tsla":tsla_data},
    datasets={
        "close-tsla":{"Close": None, "tsla": None},
        "volume-aapl":{"Volume": None, "aapl": None}
    }
)
```

## External matplotlib axes support

Most of the functions of the terminal that generate matplotlib charts support passing
external axes into them. This is very handy when you want a chart that is generated by
GST to appear in another chart that you are creating in a notebook.

Example:

```python
# Load stock data
ticker = "AAPL"
stock_data = openbb.stocks.load(ticker="aapl")

# Create a matplotlib figure
fig, axes = plt.subplots(3, 1, figsize=(10, 7))

# Use GST to add charts to the axes of the created figure
openbb.stocks.ta.macd(s_ticker=ticker, series=aapl["Close"], external_axes=axes[0:2])
openbb.stocks.options.voi_yf(
    ticker=ticker,
    expiry="2022-03-11",
    min_sp=110,
    max_sp=210,
    min_vol=0.3,
    external_axes=[axes[2]],
)

# Show the figure with charts
fig.show()
```

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