[Feature] Support setting database and schema with environment variables

[bretwalker]

Is there an existing feature request for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

Describe the Feature

Currently, source configurations for database and schema names can only be set through project variables, which are not very dynamic.

I would like to use the same dbt_project.yml across environments that have different source databases, but project vars are not Jinja rendered, like most other configuration sections. The only mechanism for overriding projects vars is with the --vars command line option. While this would work, I'd like to avoid it because it complicates calling dbt for developers and in our deployments. In addition, using env vars is already a pattern that's supported in setting the database value in sources, and so I'd like to be able to do the same with dbt_zendesk_source.

There's a lot of discussion about how to make vars more configurable on the dbt-core Githib, but nothing has been decided yet.

Describe alternatives you've considered

No response

Are you interested in contributing this feature?

• Yes.
• Yes, but I will need assistance and will schedule time during your office hours for guidance.
• No.

Anything else?

No response

[fivetran-joemarkiewicz]

Hi @bretwalker thanks so much for opening this feature request and for kicking off a valuable discussion around how to more easily use these packages across multiple environments.

I have been following the progressing discussion around the future of vars and have been very interested to see where this develops. I myself have never dabbled into the environment variable realm; however, your proposal to use them does seem quite convincing within the package. This could allow for more functionality across environments.

The only area I am curious about is if environment variables may be leveraged outside of dbt Cloud? I would want to ensure that adding environment variable configs to the project would not create errors for non dbt Cloud users. Do you know if there is an ability to leverage these env_var configs outside of dbt Cloud?