[CT-1784] [Feature] dbt build command should also install dependencies

[mickaelandrieu]

Is this your first time submitting a feature request?

• I have read the expectations for open source contributors
• I have searched the existing issues, and I could not find an existing issue for this feature
• I am requesting a straightforward extension of existing dbt functionality, rather than a Big Idea better suited to a discussion

Describe the feature

I'm a happy user of dbt and Airbyte.
As I used dbt through Airbyte to trigger dbt transformations, I have 2 commands to execute:

• dbt deps
• dbt build

I think this should be dbt build only as a "build" is intended to manage all operations in order to execute ... a build.

What I suggest:

• (subject to discussion, risky ?) Add dbt deps as a first step of the dbt build command
• or add an optional argument to trigger the installation of the dependencies i.e dbt build --with-deps

Describe alternatives you've considered

As for now, the alternative is to chain dbt deps and dbt build operations.

When these tasks are in isolation (i.e dockerized), you must configure a folder to keep the dependencies installed outside of the containers.

Painful, ugly, but it works:

packages-install-path: "../dbt_packages"

Who will this benefit?

Everyone that needs dependencies and eager to automatize the execution of its dbt operations

Are you interested in contributing this feature?

Yes

Anything else?

No response

[dbeatty10]

Glad to hear from you @mickaelandrieu !

It sounds like you are experiencing two separate problems that have dbt deps in common:

1. you'd like to run just a single command instead of two
2. getting dbt deps + dbt_packages to work in Docker was arduous

Searching past reported issues, we have two relevant tickets that are still open:

1. [CT-27] [Feature] invalidate the packages folder when packages.yml changes #4557
2. [CT-284] [Bug] Unable to run dbt inside a docker container due to missing dependencies #4784

Run just a single command instead of two

Your feature request plus in addition to that first pre-existing issue inspired us to open a new feature request yesterday:

• [CT-1845] [Feature] Write a file of installed versions during dbt deps #6643

The thing you are asking for wouldn't be fully unlocked until "phase 3" described there, but the first two phases would enable it. The work described in #6643 isn't something our team has capacity to pick up right now, but we'd be very open to supporting a motivated community contributor who would want to start by tackling phase 1.

Easing dbt deps in Docker

It seems like you have a unique solution to the Docker problem. Would you mind sharing your solution over in #4784?

Next steps

I'm going to close your issue in deference to #6643 and #4784. We would welcome continued discussion with you within each of those. Please know that you instigated the creation of that first ticket -- thank you for sharing your experience and proposal!