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