Setting up dbt™ Projects in Git

A dbt project contains the models that dbt runs to transform the data in your data platforms. Each project contains a configuration file called dbt_project.yml, which is created by dbt for your project. This configuration file helps dbt identify the dbt project directory and also how dbt should run the project. If you do not have a dbt project, follow the steps in this page to create one.

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Perform the following steps to create a dbt project and link it to your Git repository. These steps use GitHub as the Git provider.

Prerequisites

• dbt Core is installed on your machine.

• The dbt adapter for one of the supported data platforms is installed on your machine.

• You have a basic understanding of the Terminal and the commands to be used in CLI.

• A GitHub account is created.

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1. Create a Git repository

1. Log in to your GitHub account, and create a new GitHub repository. For example, dbt-sample-repository.

2. Change the repository visibility to Private if you do not want your repository to be publicly available. Default value: Public.

3. Retain all the default values for the other settings, and click Create repository.

4. Copy the displayed commands and the HTTPS URL of your new repository. You need this information to link your new repository to your dbt project.

2. Set up your dbt project

1. In a Terminal window, enter the following command to create your dbt project. This creates sample models for you by default. For example, the following command creates for you:

   • The dbt project, first_dbt_project.

   • The models, my_first_dbt_model.sql and my_second_dbt_model.sql.

     $ dbt init first_dbt_project
     

2. Navigate to your project directory. For example, /home/harry.potter/first_dbt_project.

3. Edit the dbt_project.yml file in your project directory, and if required, update the values for name, profile, and models to your project name.

3. Connect dbt Core to your data platform

dbt connects to your data platform using a profile, which is a YAML file and contains the connection details for your data platform.

1. Open a Terminal window and navigate to the profile directory called .dbt, which is a hidden folder in your home directory. The profiles.yml file is automatically created in this location when you initiate your dbt project. For example, /home/harry.potter/.dbt/profiles.yml.

   Note: Hevo does not use this profiles.yml file. Instead, it generates the file from the Destination configured in your dbt Project in Hevo.

2. Edit the profiles.yml file to add the connection details for your data platform. The following is a sample profiles.yml created for a PostgreSQL database.

   

   Note:

   • Replace the values enclosed in square brackets ([…]) with your own. For example, [port] with 5432.
   • Ensure that the project name in your profiles.yml file matches the project name in your dbt_project.yml file.

3. Navigate to your dbt project directory, and enter the following command to verify that dbt can connect to your data platform:

   $ dbt debug
   

   You should see the following output:

   Connection test: [OK connection ok]
   
   All checks passed!
   

4. Enter the following command to run the models defined in the dbt project:

   dbt run
   

   You should see the following output:

   

4. Link your dbt project to the GitHub repository

1. Open a Terminal window and navigate to your dbt project directory. For example, /home/harry.potter/first_dbt_project.

2. Enter the following commands to link the GitHub repository you created in the Create a Git repository step:

   git init
   git branch -M main
   git add .
   git commit -m "Create a dbt project"
   git remote add origin https://github.com/<username>/dbt-sample-repository.git
   git push -u origin main
   

   Note: Replace the placeholder values in the command above with your GitHub username.

3. Connect to your Git repository. You should see the dbt project you created.

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