What kind of error occurs during SQL execution in dbt?

In the context of dbt, a Database Error occurs during SQL execution when there is an issue with the SQL query that is executed against the database. This can happen for various reasons, such as syntax errors in the SQL, referencing a non-existent table, or attempting to use a function that is not supported by the database. Essentially, these errors emerge after dbt successfully compiles the SQL code and attempts to run it on the database.

Understanding that this type of error happens at the execution stage helps differentiate it from other types of errors. For example, a compilation error occurs when dbt attempts to compile the SQL code and finds issues such as missing Jinja tags or syntactical inconsistencies before it ever reaches the database. Runtime errors, on the other hand, refer to issues encountered while the code is being executed but could still be related to the logic in the code rather than the database itself. A dependency error would involve issues related to the order of table creation or dependencies between models, not directly during the execution of SQL.

Recognizing the specific nature of Database Errors allows analytics engineers to troubleshoot and resolve problems effectively within their dbt projects.