dbtDocs

This extension makes it easy to document your dbt models using column level lineage to populate and update descriptions in your yaml files.

If you need help, have questions, or have any feature requests, shoot an email to support@factoredmedia.com. We are actively developing this extension over the coming weeks.

Features

Autopopulate column descriptions in selected YAML files by inheriting existing descriptions of upstream columns. We include a comment with the upstream source information.

You can right click or run command to Inherit column descriptions for this file

If there is no upstream description or if columns are transformed to create the new column, the extension lists the upstream columns/sources as a comment next to the description field. Comments include:

• Inherited - description is directly pulled from an upstream column
• Calculated - a transformation is performed on an upstream column to create this column
• Derived - multiple columns and/or transformations are applied on upstream columns which are listed

Note that YAML files must already be created with column names and description fields. Use dbt codegen generate_model_yaml to create the yaml file with column names and blank description fields.

We determine the lineage by parsing the SQL in the manifest.json dbt file.

Requirements

• dbt Power User

Extension Settings

dbtDocs.dbtProjectYAMLPaths

Absolute paths to the dbt_project.yml file for each related dbt project. Open VSCode settings, search for dbtDocs, and click the "Edit in settings.json" link to update:

Telemetry

Telemetry is used for error reporting in order to make the extension better.

Follow these steps to disable telemetry.