dbt

name: dbt description: dbt data transformation with SQL. Use for data pipelines.

dbt (Data Build Tool)

dbt manages data transformation in the warehouse using SQL. v2.0 introduces the Fusion Engine (Rust) for performance.

When to Use

• Data Modeling: Converting raw tables into "Gold" tables.
• Testing: not_null, unique tests defined in YAML.
• Documentation: Auto-generating data dictionaries.

Core Concepts

Models (.sql)

Select statements that dbt compiles into CREATE VIEW/TABLE.

Refs ({{ ref('users') }})

Dependency management. dbt builds the DAG automatically.

Semantic Layer

Defining metrics ("Revenue") in code so all BI tools use the same definition.

Best Practices (2025)

Do:

• Use Git: Treat data models like software code.
• Use Incremental Models: Only process new data to save cost.
• Use dbt Mesh: For cross-project dependencies in large orgs.

Don't:

• Don't put logic in BI tools: Put it in dbt.

References

• dbt Documentation