portfolioSpec(
    model = list(type = "MV", optimize = "minRisk",
        estimator = "covEstimator", tailRisk = list(), 
        params = list(alpha = 0.05, a = 1)), 
    portfolio = list(weights = NULL, targetReturn = NULL, 
        targetRisk = NULL, riskFreeRate = 0, nFrontierPoints = 50, 
        status = 0),
    optim = list(solver = "solveRquadprog", objective = NULL,
        params = list(meq = 2), control = list(), trace = FALSE))solver denoting 
        the type of the solver to be used, a params list to pass further
        arguments to the objective function to optimize, a control list
        fportfolioSpec
returns an S4 object of class "fPFOLIOSPEC".fPFOLIOSPEC.
        
    setClass("fPFOLIOSPEC", 
      representation(
        model = "list",
        portfolio = "list",
        optim = "list") )
        
    An object of class fPFOLIOSPEC has three slots, named
    @model, @portfolio, and @optim. The first 
    slot @model holds the model information, the second
    slot @portfolio the portfolio information, and the last 
    slot @optim the information about the solver used for 
    optimization.
    
    The default settings are as follows:
        
    model = list(
        type = "MV",
        optimize = "minRisk",    
        estimator = "covEstimator",     
        tailRisk = list(),               
        params = list(alpha = 0.05, a = 2)),
    portfolio = list(
        weights = NULL, 
        targetReturn = NULL, 
        targetRisk = NULL,
        riskFreeRate = 0, 
        nFrontierPoints = 50,
        status = NA),
    optim = list(
        solver = "solveRquadprog",    
        objective = NULL,  
        parames = list(),
        control = list(meq = 2),   
        trace = FALSE)
        
        
    Model Slot:
    
    
    Type of Model:
The list entry type from the @model slot describes 
    the type of the desired portfolio. The current implementation 
    supports three types of portfolios. This may be 
    a Markowitz mean -- variance portfolio named "MV", 
    a mean -- lower partial moment portfolio named "LPM", or 
    a mean -- CVaR condititional value-at-risk portfolio named "CVaR". 
    One can use the function getType to retrieve the current
    setting and the function setType to modify this selection.
     
    
    What to optimize?
The list entry optimize from the @model slot describes 
    what should be optimized. Two choices are psssible. Either
    
    \code{"minRisk"} 
        
    which minimizes the risk if the target returns is given, or 
    
    \code{"maxReturn"} 
        
    which maximizes the return if the target risk is given.
    One can use the function getOptimize to retrieve the current
    setting and the function setOptimize to modify this selection.
    
    
    How to estimate mean and covariance?
The list entry estimator from the @model slot requests 
    for a string that denotes the function name of the covariance 
    estimator which should be used for the estimation of risk. 
    
    In Markowitz' mean-variance portfolio model, type="MV", the 
    default function 
    
    \code{"covEstimator"}
        
    is used which computes the standard column means 
    of the multivariate assets data series and the standard covariance 
    matrix. Alternative robust estimators include 
    
    \code{"covMcdEstimator"}
        \code{"covOGKEstimator"}
        \code{"mveEstimator"}
        \code{"nnveEstimator"}
        \code{"mcdEstimator"}
        
    In addition a shrinkage covariance estimator named
        
    \code{"shrinkEstimator"},
        
    and a bagged covariance estimator named
     
    \code{"baggedEstimator"}
    
    are also available.
    Note, the experienced user can add his own function to estimate in any
    alternative way the mean and the covariance of the multivariate assets
    data series. In this case (s)he has to write a function, e.g. named
     
    \code{myEstimator=function(x,spec=NULL,...)}
        
    where x is a multivariate time series, spec optionally 
    the portfolio specification, if rquired, and ... additional
    arguments passed to the users code. Note, myEstimator must
    a return a named list, with at least the following two entries
    $mu and $Sigma, which represent estimators for the
    mean and covariance, respectively. 
    
    In the case of the Mean -- Lower-Partial-Moment portfolio, 
    type="LPM" we make use of the equivalence to Markowitz' 
    mean-variance portfolio with a modified covariance estimator, i.e. 
    
    \code{"lpmEstimator"},
        
    Note, in this case the setting of type="LPM" 
    changes the covariance estimator function name 
    from any selection previously made to the function automatically
    to "lpmEstimator" which returns the LPM mean and covariance 
    estimates.       One can use the function getEstimator to retrieve the current
    setting and the function setEstimator to modify this selection.
     
     
    Tail Risk List:
The list entry tailRisk from the @model slot is an empty 
    list. It can be used to add tail risk budget constrains to the 
    optimization. In this case a square matrix of the size of the 
    number of assets is expected as list entry, which contains bivariate 
    tail risk measures, i.e. the tail dependence coefficients estaimated 
    via a copulae approach.   
    Use the function setType to modify this selection.
    
    
    The list entry parameters from the @model slot is a 
    list with additional parameters used in different situations. It can 
    be ebhanced by the user if needed. 
    By default it contains the exponent a=2, the parameter needed 
        for "LPM" portfolio optimization,
    and it contains the targetAlpha=0.05, the confidence level
        for "CVaR" portfolio optimization.
    Use the function setParams to modify this selection.
    
    
    Portfolio Slot:
    
    
    The values weights, targetReturn, and targetRisk
    from the portfolio slot have to be considered in common. By
    default all three are set to NULL. If this is the case, then 
    it is assumed that an equal weight portfolio should be calculated.
    If only one of the three values is different from NULL then
    the following procedure will be startet. 
    If the weights are specified then it is assumed that a feasible 
        portfolio should be considered.
    If the target return is fixed then it is assumed that the efficient 
        portfolio with the minimal risk will be considered. 
    And finally if the risk is fixed, then the return should be maximized.
    Use the functions setWeights, setTargetReturn, and
    setTargetRisk to modify this selection.Note, the change in of
    the three functions will influence the settings of the other two.
    
    
    The riskFreeRate=0 is also stored in the portfolio slot.
    Its value defaults to zero. It can be changed by the user.
    Use the function setRiskFreeRate to modify this selection.
    
    
    The number of frontier points reqauired by the calculation of
    the portfolioFrontier is obtained from the value of
    nFrontierPoints=50 hold in the portfolio slot.
    Its value defaults to 50. It can be changed by the user.
    Use the function setNFrontierPoints to modify this selection.
    
    
    The final status of portfolio optimization is returned 
    and stored in the portfolio slot. Before optimization the
    value is unset to NA, after optimization a value of 
    status=0 means a successful termination. For other
    values we recommend to inspect the help page of the selected
    solver, the name of the solver can be returned by the function
    getSolver.
    Use the function setSolver to reset the value to NA
    if it should be required.
    
    
    Optim Slot:
    
    
    The name of the default solver used for optimization can be retrieved
    calling the function getSolver. The default value for the
    value solver in the specification is set to NULL 
    which means that the best solver availalbe will be autoselected 
    and used. Before optimization the user can change the setting
    to another solver. Be aware, that a possible personal change will 
    be overwritten by the function setType, so call 
    setSolver after setting the type of the portfolio.
    
    
    The logical flag trace in the slot optim allows
    to trace optionally the portfolio optimization process. By 
    default this will not be the case since the default value is 
    trace=FALSE. Use the fanction setTrace to modify
    the selection.
        
    
    Retrieving and Modifying Specification Settings:
    
             
    Information about the current portfolio specification can be retrieved 
    by "get" functions. These include:
    
    getType 	Extracts portfolio type from specification, 
getOptimize 	Extracts what to optimize from specification, 
getEstimator 	Extracts type of covariance estimator, 
getTailRisk 	Extracts list of tail dependency risk matrixes, 
getParams 	Extracts parameters from specification, 
getWeights 	Extracts weights from a portfolio object, 
getTargetReturn 	Extracts target return from specification, 
getTargetRisk 	Extracts target riks from specification, 
getAlpha 	Extracts target VaR-alpha specification, 
getRiskFreeRate 	Extracts risk free rate from specification, 
getNFrontierPoints 	Extracts number of frontier points, 
getStatus 	Extracts the status of optimization, 
getSolver 	Extracts solver from specification, 
getTrace 	Extracts solver's trace flag. }
    
    For details we refer to link{getSpec}.
    
    To modify the setting from a portfolio specification use the 
    "set" functions:
    
    setType 	Sets type of portfolio optimization, 
setOptimize 	Sets what to optimize, min risk or max return, 
setEstimator 	Sets names of mean and covariance estimators, 
setParams 	Sets optional model parameters, 
setWeights 	Sets weights vector, 
setTargetReturn 	Sets target return value, 
setTargetRisk 	Sets target risk value, 
setTargetAlpha 	Sets CVaR target alpha value, 
setRiskFreeRate 	Sets risk-free rate value, 
setNFrontierPoints 	Sets number of frontier points, 
setStatus 	Sets status value, 
setSolver 	Sets the type of solver to be used, 
setTrace 	Sets the logical trace flag. }
    
    
    For details we refer to link{setSpec}.
      
    Printing Specification Settings:
    
    There is a generic print function to print information from
    specification. What is printed depends on the values of the
    settings. For example print(portfolioSpec()) returns
    the type of portfolio, the name of the covariance estimator,
    the portfolios risk free rate, and the desired solver.
## portfolioSpec -
   # Show Default Portfolio Specifications:
   spec = portfolioSpec()
   
## getRiskFreeRate -
   # Get Risk Free Rate
   getRiskFreeRate(spec) 
   spec
   
## setRiskFreeRate -
   # Modify Risk Free Rate
   setRiskFreeRate(spec) <- 2.5Run the code above in your browser using DataLab