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arguments

macros/<filename>.yml

version: 2

macros:
  - name: <macro name>
    arguments:
      - name: <arg name>
        type: <string>
        description: <markdown_string>

Definition​

The arguments property is used to define the parameters that a macro can accept. Each argument can have a name, type, and description. You can add arguments to a macro property, which helps in documenting the macro and understanding what inputs it requires.

type​

tip

From dbt Core v1.10, you can opt into validating the arguments you define in macro documentation using the validate_macro_args behavior change flag. When enabled, dbt will:

  • Infer arguments from the macro and includes them in the manifest.json file if no arguments are documented.
  • Raise a warning if documented argument names don't match the macro definition.
  • Raise a warning if type fields don't follow supported formats.

Learn more about macro argument validation.

macros/<filename>.yml
version: 2

macros:
  - name: <macro name>
    arguments:
      - name: <arg name>
        type: <string>

Supported types​

From dbt Core v1.10, when you use the validate_macro_args flag, dbt supports the following types for macro arguments:

  • string or str
  • boolean or bool
  • integer or int
  • float
  • any
  • list[<Type>], for example, list[string]
  • dict[<Type>, <Type>], for example, dict[str, list[int]]
  • optional[<Type>], for example, optional[integer]
  • relation
  • column

Note that the types follow a Python-like style but are used for documentation and validation only. They are not Python types.

Examples​

macros/cents_to_dollars.sql
{% macro cents_to_dollars(column_name, scale=2) %}
    ({{ column_name }} / 100)::numeric(16, {{ scale }})
{% endmacro %}

macros/cents_to_dollars.yml
version: 2

macros:
  - name: cents_to_dollars
    arguments:
      - name: column_name
        type: column
        description: "The name of a column"
      - name: scale
        type: integer
        description: "The number of decimal places to round to. Default is 2."

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