Unlocking dbt

More about the book

This book demonstrates how dbt facilitates the creation of data transformation pipelines, enhancing dependency management, version control, and automated testing. It highlights the revolutionary impact of dbt as a command-line tool, surpassing traditional database stored procedures and other ETL/ELT tools. Readers will learn to craft custom transformations using simple SQL SELECT statements, streamlining the integration of dbt as the transformation layer in data warehouse pipelines. The text emphasizes incorporating software engineering best practices, such as code reusability and automated testing, into the data transformation process. The guide walks through establishing a dbt project, building and modularizing SQL models, and executing jobs that are easy to maintain and scale. It covers project setup using both dbt Cloud and dbt Core, ensuring confidence in project deployment on either platform. After mastering the basics, readers will explore how dbt combines SQL with Jinja for advanced functionalities, including materializations, data flow lineage, and macros. Additionally, the book addresses supported file types and Python model development, equipping readers with tools to make their transformation layer production-ready. Key features include automated testing, documentation generation, and CI/CD pipeline execution. Targeted at current and aspiring data professionals, the content assumes foundational knowledge of SQL,