AltimateAI/vscode-dbt-power-user

What it solves

This extension addresses the friction in developing with dbt (data build tool), providing a more integrated development experience within VS Code. It eliminates the need to constantly switch between the editor and the command line or external tools for common dbt operations, common SQL errors, and documentation tasks.

How it works

It integrates directly into VS Code to provide real-time assistance. It offers autocomplete for dbt-specific code (models, macros, sources), a live preview of compiled queries, and a visual representation of column-level lineage. It also automates the repetitive parts of dbt development, such as generating model descriptions and YAML files, and allows users to run tests and build models directly from the UI.

Who it’s for

Data engineers and analytics engineers who use dbt (version 1.0+) to manage their data transformation pipelines in Visual Studio Code.

Highlights

• Intelligent Code Assistance: Auto-completes model, macro, and source names with click-to-definition navigation.
• Visual Lineage: Provides both model and column-level lineage to track data flow.
• Automated Documentation: Automatically generates model and column descriptions and saves them as formatted YAML files.
• Integrated Execution: Run parent/child models and tests with a single click.
• Project Health & Validation: Includes a SQL validator to catch typos and missing columns, and a project health check to identify unmaterialized models.
• BigQuery Integration: Includes a specific cost estimator for BigQuery models.