🧱 dbt (Data Build Tool) Flashcards
⚙️ What is dbt?
dbt (Data Build Tool) is an open-source tool that enables data analysts and engineers to transform data in their warehouse using SQL and version control.
🧠 What language is dbt written in?
dbt is built using Python, and transformations are written in SQL with Jinja templating.
🏗️ What are dbt models?
Models are SQL files that define transformations. Each model is a SELECT statement materialized into a table or view.
🔁 What is materialization in dbt?
Materializations define how dbt persists models — as views, tables, incremental tables, or ephemeral (temporary) tables.
🧪 What are tests in dbt?
Tests validate your data’s quality — checking for nulls, uniqueness, referential integrity, and custom assertions.
📦 What is a dbt project?
A dbt project is a structured folder with model SQL files, test files, macros, and a `dbt_project.yml` configuration file.
📜 What is a dbt run?
`dbt run` executes your transformation pipeline by building all models based on dependency DAGs.
📊 What is dbt DAG?
dbt builds a directed acyclic graph (DAG) of model dependencies to ensure correct execution order.
🔍 What are sources in dbt?
Sources are raw tables in your warehouse that dbt references in your models, typically prefixed with `source()`.
💡 What is Jinja in dbt?
Jinja is a templating engine used to add logic (like loops and variables) into SQL code in dbt models.