Organizing models in directories in dbt - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Organizing models in directories

📖 Scenario: You are working on a data project using dbt. Your project has many data models. To keep things neat and easy to find, you want to organize these models into folders (directories).Think of it like organizing your school notes into different notebooks by subject. This helps you find what you need quickly.

🎯 Goal: You will create a folder structure inside the models directory and place model files in the right folders. Then, you will write a simple model SQL file inside a folder.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a folder named sales inside the models directory

Create a folder named marketing inside the models directory

Create a model file named daily_sales.sql inside the sales folder

Write a simple SQL SELECT statement inside daily_sales.sql that selects all columns from raw_sales table

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Organizing models in folders helps teams manage many data models clearly and avoid confusion.

💼 Career

Data analysts and engineers often organize dbt projects this way to improve collaboration and maintainability.

1

Create folders inside the models directory

Create two folders named sales and marketing inside the models directory of your dbt project.

dbt

# Create folders named 'sales' and 'marketing' inside the 'models' directory
# Your code here

Hint

Use your file explorer or terminal commands like mkdir models/sales and mkdir models/marketing.

2

Create a model file inside the sales folder

Inside the models/sales folder, create a file named daily_sales.sql.

dbt

# Create a file named 'daily_sales.sql' inside 'models/sales' folder
# Your code here

Hint

Create the file using your text editor or terminal command like touch models/sales/daily_sales.sql.

3

Write a simple SQL SELECT statement in daily_sales.sql

Open the models/sales/daily_sales.sql file and write this exact SQL code:
SELECT * FROM raw_sales;

dbt

# Open 'models/sales/daily_sales.sql' and write:
# SELECT * FROM raw_sales;
# Your code here

Hint

This SQL selects all columns from the raw_sales table.

4

Display the path and content of the daily_sales.sql model

Print the path models/sales/daily_sales.sql and then print the content of the file exactly as:
SELECT * FROM raw_sales;

dbt

# Print the path and content of the model file
# Your code here

Hint

Use two print statements: one for the path, one for the SQL content.

Practice

1. Why is it helpful to organize dbt models into directories?

easy

A. It keeps the project clean and easier to manage.

B. It makes dbt run faster.

C. It prevents errors in SQL syntax.

D. It automatically creates dashboards.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand project organization benefits

   Organizing files into folders helps keep things tidy and easy to find.

2. Step 2: Relate to dbt model management

   In dbt, directories group models logically, making the project easier to manage.

3. Final Answer:

   It keeps the project clean and easier to manage. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Organizing models = easier management [OK]

Hint: Folders group models logically for clarity [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking folders speed up dbt runs
• Believing folders fix SQL errors
• Assuming folders create dashboards automatically

2. Which of the following is the correct way to reference a model in a subdirectory in dbt SQL?

easy

A. SELECT * FROM subfolder-model_name

B. SELECT * FROM model_name.subfolder

C. SELECT * FROM subfolder.model_name

D. SELECT * FROM model_name

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand dbt model referencing

   dbt uses dot notation to reference models in subfolders: folder.model_name.

2. Step 2: Check each option

   Only SELECT * FROM subfolder.model_name uses correct dot notation with folder before model name.

3. Final Answer:

   SELECT * FROM subfolder.model_name -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Use folder.model_name to reference subfolder models [OK]

Hint: Use dot notation: folder.model_name [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Reversing folder and model name order
• Using hyphens instead of dots
• Ignoring folder name when referencing

3. Given this dbt project structure:

models/
  sales/
    orders.sql
  marketing/
    campaigns.sql

What is the correct way to select all columns from the orders model inside the sales folder?

medium

A. SELECT * FROM orders

B. SELECT * FROM sales.orders

C. SELECT * FROM marketing.campaigns

D. SELECT * FROM models.sales.orders

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify model location

   The orders model is inside the sales folder under models.

2. Step 2: Use correct reference syntax

   dbt references models using folder.model_name, so sales.orders is correct.

3. Final Answer:

   SELECT * FROM sales.orders -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Reference subfolder models as folder.model_name [OK]

Hint: Use folder.model_name to select subfolder models [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Omitting folder name when selecting
• Using full path with 'models.' prefix
• Selecting from wrong folder model

4. You have this dbt model file path: models/finance/revenue.sql. You wrote this SQL:

SELECT * FROM revenue

Why might this cause an error when running dbt?

medium

A. Because the model should be referenced as finance.revenue.

B. Because revenue.sql file is missing.

C. Because SELECT * FROM revenue is invalid SQL syntax.

D. Because dbt does not support subfolders.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand model referencing in subfolders

   Models inside subfolders must be referenced with folder prefix, e.g., finance.revenue.

2. Step 2: Identify cause of error

   Using just revenue ignores the folder, causing dbt to not find the model.

3. Final Answer:

   Because the model should be referenced as finance.revenue. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Reference subfolder models with folder prefix [OK]

Hint: Always prefix model with folder name in references [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming model name alone works in subfolders
• Thinking SQL syntax is wrong
• Believing dbt disallows subfolders

5. You want to organize your dbt models by year and quarter. Which directory structure best supports this while keeping references simple?

hard

A. models/year_2024_q1_sales.sql and reference as year_2024_q1_sales

B. models/q1/year_2024/sales.sql and reference as q1.year_2024.sales

C. models/sales/year_2024_q1.sql and reference as sales.year_2024_q1

D. models/year_2024/q1/sales.sql and reference as year_2024.q1.sales

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand multi-level directory organization

   Organizing by year then quarter creates clear hierarchy: year_2024/q1/.

2. Step 2: Check referencing simplicity

   dbt references nested folders with dot notation: year_2024.q1.sales is clear and logical.

3. Final Answer:

   models/year_2024/q1/sales.sql and reference as year_2024.q1.sales -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Use nested folders with dot notation references [OK]

Hint: Use nested folders matching dot notation references [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Reversing folder order causing confusing references
• Using flat filenames losing hierarchy clarity
• Ignoring dot notation for nested folders