alias

Models

Specify a custom alias for a model in your dbt_project.yml file, models/properties.yml file, or config block in a SQL file.

For example, if you have a model that calculates sales_total and want to give it a more user-friendly alias, you can alias it as shown in the following examples.

In the dbt_project.yml file, the following example sets a default alias for the sales_total model at the project level:

dbt_project.yml

models:
  your_project:
    sales_total:
      +alias: sales_dashboard

The following specifies an alias as part of the models/properties.yml file metadata, useful for centralized configuration:

models/properties.yml

version: 2

models:
  - name: sales_total
    config:
      alias: sales_dashboard

The following assigns the alias directly in the In models/sales_total.sql file:

models/sales_total.sql

{{ config(
    alias="sales_dashboard"
) }}

This would return analytics.finance.sales_dashboard in the database, instead of the default analytics.finance.sales_total.

Seeds

Configure a seed's alias in your dbt_project.yml file or a properties.yml file. The following examples demonstrate how to alias a seed named product_categories to categories_data.

In the dbt_project.yml file at the project level:

dbt_project.yml

seeds:
  your_project:
    product_categories:
      +alias: categories_data

In the seeds/properties.yml file:

seeds/properties.yml

version: 2

seeds:
  - name: product_categories
    config:
      alias: categories_data

This would return the name analytics.finance.categories_data in the database.

In the following second example, the seed at seeds/country_codes.csv will be built as a tableIn simplest terms, a table is the direct storage of data in rows and columns. Think excel sheet with raw values in each of the cells. named country_mappings.

dbt_project.yml

seeds:
  jaffle_shop:
    country_codes:
      +alias: country_mappings

Snapshots

Configure a snapshots's alias in your dbt_project.yml file, snapshots/snapshot_name.yml file, or config block.

The following examples demonstrate how to alias a snapshot named your_snapshot to the_best_snapshot.

In the dbt_project.yml file at the project level:

dbt_project.yml

snapshots:
  your_project:
    your_snapshot:
      +alias: the_best_snapshot

In the snapshots/snapshot_name.yml file:

snapshots/snapshot_name.yml

version: 2

snapshots:
  - name: your_snapshot_name
    config:
      alias: the_best_snapshot
</File>

In `snapshots/your_snapshot.sql` file:

<File name='snapshots/your_snapshot.sql'>

```sql
{{ config(
    alias="the_best_snapshot"
) }}

This would build your snapshot to analytics.finance.the_best_snapshot in the database.

Tests

Configure a data test's alias in your dbt_project.yml file, properties.yml file, or config block in the model file.

The following examples demonstrate how to alias a unique data test named order_id to unique_order_id_test to identify a specific data test.

In the dbt_project.yml file at the project level:

dbt_project.yml

tests:
  your_project:
    +alias: unique_order_id_test

In the models/properties.yml file:

models/properties.yml

models:
  - name: orders
    columns:
      - name: order_id
        tests:
          - unique:
              alias: unique_order_id_test

In tests/unique_order_id_test.sql file:

tests/unique_order_id_test.sql

{{ config(
    alias="unique_order_id_test",
    severity="error"
) }}

When using store_failures_as, this would return the name analytics.dbt_test__audit.orders_order_id_unique_order_id_test in the database.

Definition

Optionally specify a custom alias for a model, data test, snapshot, or seed.

When dbt creates a relation (tableIn simplest terms, a table is the direct storage of data in rows and columns. Think excel sheet with raw values in each of the cells./viewA view (as opposed to a table) is a defined passthrough SQL query that can be run against a database (or data warehouse).) in a database, it creates it as: {{ database }}.{{ schema }}.{{ identifier }}, e.g. analytics.finance.payments

The standard behavior of dbt is:

• If a custom alias is not specified, the identifier of the relation is the resource name (i.e. the filename).
• If a custom alias is specified, the identifier of the relation is the {{ alias }} value.

Note With an ephemeral model, dbt will always apply the prefix __dbt__cte__ to the CTEA Common Table Expression (CTE) is a temporary result set that can be used in a SQL query. You can use CTEs to break up complex queries into simpler blocks of code that can connect and build on each other. identifier. This means that if an alias is set on an ephemeral model, then its CTE identifier will be __dbt__cte__{{ alias }}, but if no alias is set then its identifier will be __dbt__cte__{{ filename }}.

To learn more about changing the way that dbt generates a relation's identifier, read Using Aliases.