What does the 'dbt compile' command do?

The 'dbt compile' command is specifically designed to compile SQL files into executable queries. This means that when you run this command, dbt takes your model definitions—written in SQL—and processes them into raw SQL queries that can be executed by the database. The output of this command is not executed against the database; instead, dbt constructs the final SQL that would be run later during the execution phase.

This step is crucial in the dbt workflow as it allows you to view the SQL that will be executed, which helps in debugging and understanding how your models are structured. Additionally, this command ensures that any Jinja templating within your models is rendered correctly, allowing you to see the final form of the SQL, including any applied conditions or structure from your dbt configuration.

The other choices reflect common actions associated with dbt but do not describe the specific purpose of the 'dbt compile' command. For example, running all models refers more to the 'dbt run' command, while validating schema pertains more to 'dbt test' or checks during the execution phase. Generating documentation files is related to the 'dbt docs generate' command. Each of these actions serves a distinct purpose within the dbt process, illustrating