[Feature] Disable unit tests whose model is disabled

[SimonCarryer]

Is this a new bug in dbt-core?

• I believe this is a new bug in dbt-core
• I have searched the existing issues, and I could not find an existing issue for this bug

Current Behavior

If a model is set to disabled by a macro (for example the standard config macro), then the enabled status is not known at compile time, and unit tests for the model are still compiled. This causes a compilation error:

Compilation Error
  'unit_test.data_staging.my_cool_report.my_cool_unit_test' depends on 'model.data_staging.my_cool_report' which is not in the graph!

Expected Behavior

Usually, if a model is disabled (i.e. enabled: false), then unit tests which test that model are not compiled.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Create a model which is disabled by a macro (for example {{config(enabled=false)}})
2. Create a unit test for that model
3. Run the project

Relevant log output

No response

Environment

- OS: Windows
- Python: 3.12.4
- dbt: 1.8.2

Which database adapter are you using with dbt?

postgres

Additional Context

No response

[dbeatty10]

I see what you are saying @SimonCarryer 👍

Specifically, both generic and singular data tests are disabled when they depend on a model that is disabled, and you'd like unit tests to behave the same way. This looks like the expected behavior to me though, so I'm going to update this to a feature request for further consideration.

We should also consider unit tests through the lens of indirect selection for data tests.

This is similar to #9109, but distinct.

Reprex

models/my_cool_report.sql

select 1 as id

models/_models.yml

models:
  - name: my_cool_report
    config:
      enabled: false
    columns:
      - name: id
        data_tests:
          - not_null

tests/assert_coolness.sql

select *
from {{ ref('my_cool_report')}}
where id is null

models/_unit_tests.yml

unit_tests:
  - name: my_cool_unit_test
    model: my_cool_report
    given: []
    expect:
      rows:
        - {id: 1}

Commands:

dbt build

Compilation Error
  'test.my_project.assert_coolness' depends on 'model.my_project.my_cool_report' which is not in the graph!

Output:

dbt build --no-partial-parse

Output:

15:25:52  Encountered an error:
'model.my_project.my_cool_report'
15:25:52  Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/cli/requires.py", line 138, in wrapper
    result, success = func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/cli/requires.py", line 101, in wrapper
    return func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/cli/requires.py", line 218, in wrapper
    return func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/cli/requires.py", line 247, in wrapper
    return func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/cli/requires.py", line 294, in wrapper
    return func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/cli/requires.py", line 320, in wrapper
    ctx.obj["manifest"] = parse_manifest(
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/parser/manifest.py", line 1898, in parse_manifest
    manifest = ManifestLoader.get_full_manifest(
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/parser/manifest.py", line 330, in get_full_manifest
    manifest = loader.load()
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/parser/manifest.py", line 487, in load
    self.process_unit_tests(self.root_project.project_name)
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/parser/manifest.py", line 1294, in process_unit_tests
    process_models_for_unit_test(
  File "/Users/dbeatty/projects/environments/dbt_1.8/lib/python3.10/site-packages/dbt/parser/unit_tests.py", line 468, in process_models_for_unit_test
    target_model = manifest.nodes[target_model_id]
KeyError: 'model.my_project.my_cool_report'

[SimonCarryer]

Oh no! As best I can tell, unit tests on disabled models are already disabled. The issue is that if the model is disabled by a macro, rather than in plain text, then the unit test is still compiled (and causes a compilation error).

[dbeatty10]

The example in #10540 (comment) just disables the model in YAML like this (which uses plain text rather than a macro):

models:
  - name: my_cool_report
    config:
      enabled: false

And it leaves all the unit tests related to that model as enabled and gives the compilation error you mentioned. Are you seeing something different? i.e., do you have an example where the unit test is disabled?

As an aside, when I disable a model using {{ config(enabled=false) }} within the model definition rather than YAML, I get a Parsing Error rather than a Compilation Error:

Parsing Error
  Unable to find model 'my_project.my_cool_report' for unit test 'my_cool_unit_test' in models/_unit_tests.yml

[graciegoheen]

Closed by #10831

[davidbooke4]

Can this issue be reopened? The PR that closed this issue allows for unit tests to be disabled, but I don't believe it solves the problem raised in this issue of a model being disabled for which a unit test is defined.

I'm still getting parsing errors when a model is disabled and a unit test is not explicitly disabled:

Parsing Error
  Unable to find model 'disabled_model' for unit test 'unit_test_for_disabled_model' in ...

Whether I have the model disabled using conditional logic such as config(enabled=var('model_enabled', false) != false) or config(enabled = false) doesn't make a difference.

I don't know enough but how this all works to say why, but it looks like this PR made additions to core/dbt/parser/unit_tests.py starting at line 512 but the error I'm getting is coming from the block above starting at line 500.

I'm testing this out on dbt-core v1.9.1 and dbt-bigquery v1.9.1. Please let me know if no one else can replicate this error and this is due to something I'm doing - thanks!

[gauravbodara]

@davidbooke4 I am facing the same issue while running models with dynamic config and the unit test fails.

Note: commented here to track the issue.

[graciegoheen]

Thank you @davidbooke4 and @gauravbodara - I will open this issue back up!