Enforce SQL and YAML best practices

Paradime includes SQLFluff and Prettier so you can keep SQL and YAML consistent across the team, catch errors early, and format code with one click. This guide covers both and how to customize them.

Prerequisites

A dbt™ project set up in the IDE.
At least one .sql and one .yml file in your project.

Estimated time: 20 minutes.

Lint and format SQL with SQLFluff

SQLFluff lints SQL against standard or custom rules. Paradime ships a pre-configured template for dbt™ covering line length, indentation, aliasing, and capitalization.

Format a SQL file

Open a .sql file and select Prettier in the commands panel to format it.

The Prettier button in the Paradime commands panel

Customize the rules (optional)

Create a .sqlfluff file in your dbt™ root directory (where dbt_project.yml lives) to override the defaults.

A .sqlfluff config file in the dbt project root

Before
After

WITH player_info AS (SELECT * FROM {{ ref('nba_player_info') }})
, player_salaries AS (SELECT player_id, salary FROM {{ ref('nba_player_salaries') }})
SELECT * FROM player_info AS pi LEFT JOIN player_salaries AS ps ON pi.player_id = ps.player_id

with player_info as (
    select * from {{ ref('nba_player_info') }}
),
player_salaries as (
    select player_id, salary
    from {{ ref('nba_player_salaries') }}
)

select *
from player_info as pi
left join player_salaries as ps on pi.player_id = ps.player_id

Format YAML with Prettier

Prettier formats YAML for readability and flags formatting errors. It comes pre-installed and reads an optional .prettierrc for custom settings.

Format a YAML file

Open a .yml file and select Prettier in the commands panel. If Prettier finds severe errors, select Prettier in the toolbar to debug them.

Customize the rules (optional)

Create a .prettierrc file in your dbt™ root directory to set your own YAML preferences.

Before
After

version: 2
models:
  - name: nba_player_info
    columns:
      - name: player_id
        tests:
          -   unique
          - not_null
      - name:   height

version: 2
models:
  - name: nba_player_info
    columns:
      - name: player_id
        tests:
          - unique
          - not_null
      - name: height

Selecting Prettier reformats the open file in place. With .sqlfluff and .prettierrc committed to your repo, every developer formats to the same standard.

Foundations

Automate with AI agents

Set up & configure

Orchestrate data pipelines

Migrate to Paradime

Develop in Paradime

Learn dbt™

Enforce SQL and YAML best practices

Lint and format SQL with SQLFluff

Format YAML with Prettier

Next steps

Code quality reference

SQLFluff configuration

​Lint and format SQL with SQLFluff

​Format YAML with Prettier

​Next steps

Code quality reference

SQLFluff configuration

Lint and format SQL with SQLFluff

Format YAML with Prettier

Next steps