dbt-labs / dbt-labs/dbt

[Feature] Add a flag to allow dbt run without compilation

Open
#11,633 3 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
awaiting_response engine:v1 stale type:feature
Dominant language
Rust
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Forks
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Avg merge
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Merged PRs (30d)
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Description

### Is this your first time submitting a feature request?

- [x] I have read the [expectations for open source contributors](https://docs.getdbt.com/docs/contributing/oss-expectations)
- [x] I have searched the existing issues, and I could not find an existing issue for this feature
- [x] I am requesting a straightforward extension of existing dbt functionality, rather than a Big Idea better suited to a discussion

### Describe the feature

For some specific reasons, currently, my dbt project needs a flag to run without compilation, since the compiled models exist. The models do not need to be re-compiled since they do not change.

I know in most cases, this is not appropriate, but my current project really needs it. For every compilation, dbt calls nearly 20 Trino query executions, and that is not bad for my team.

### Describe alternatives you've considered

_No response_

### Who will this benefit?

_No response_

### Are you interested in contributing this feature?

Yes, I want to know how can I implement this feature

### Anything else?

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start by tracing the existing dbt run and compilation entry points to understand where a no-compilation flag would be handled. Define the expected behavior for using existing compiled models, then add coverage for the flag and verify that normal compilation remains unchanged.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Domain
data-engineering
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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