dbt (Data Build Tool)

dbt (data build tool) has become the standard for analytics engineering, providing SQL-based data transformation with software engineering practices. dbt Core is free and open-source (Apache 2.0). dbt Cloud offers Team at $100/seat/month and Enterprise at custom pricing. The tool transforms data inside warehouses using SELECT statements (no ETL infrastructure needed) with features including version control integration, automated testing, documentation generation, and dependency management. The dbt Semantic Layer (Cloud only) defines business metrics in YAML for consistent use across BI tools, critical for accurate AI-powered analytics. dbt Mesh enables modular, team-owned data projects with cross-project dependencies. Supports Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks, PostgreSQL, and 30+ platforms. AI integrations include GitHub Copilot suggestions and emerging natural language features in Cloud. Page should cover: Core vs Cloud comparison, Semantic Layer setup and importance for AI, documentation generation, testing best practices, comparison with Dataform (Google), and analytics engineering workflow recommendations.