[Bug] Trying to compile model in comments

[Terence-Gawtrey]

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

When compiling a model with a reference to another model in the comments, it gives a standard model missing error, and will not compile. "Compilation Error in model ... ... depends on a node named"

Note: Dialect is T-SQL
Note: using Azure Dedicated Pools adapter (Azure DW)
Note: commented using "--" style and not "{#" style

Expected Behavior

I expect the model compiler to disregard anything in comments e.g. references.

Steps To Reproduce

1. Create a model
2. Add a comment using "--" with reference to another model.
3. Build and run the model.

Relevant log output

No response

Environment

- OS: Windows
- Python: 3.10.12
- dbt: 1.7.18

Which database adapter are you using with dbt?

other (mention it in "Additional Context")

Additional Context

Azure Dedicated Pools adapter

[github-actions]

Thank you for your bug report! Our team is will be out of the office for Christmas and our Global Week of Rest, from December 25, 2024, through January 3, 2025.

We will review your issue as soon as possible after returning.
Thank you for your understanding, and happy holidays! 🎄🎉

If you are a customer of dbt Cloud, please contact our Customer Support team via the dbt Cloud web interface or email [email protected].

[cjohnhanson]

We also ran into this behavior in dbt 1.8.4:

We're seeing this:
~~ ~~Encountered an error:~~ ~~Compilation Error~~ ~~Model '<redacted>' (models/<redacted> depends on a node named '<redacted>' which was not found~~ ~~

when the reference in question is commented out in the model that fails to compile.

"This isn't a bug, you shouldn't keep commented out references in your models" I think is a perfectly reasonable response here but intuitively I would have expected compilation to respect comments.

Apparently not a bug, see: #11181 (comment)

[tayloramurphy]

This is expected AFAIK based on https://docs.getdbt.com/reference/dbt-jinja-functions/ref#forcing-dependencies However dbt is parsing refs it just completely ignores comments.

[dbeatty10]

@tayloramurphy hit the nail on the head: what you are seeing is not a bug, and https://docs.getdbt.com/reference/dbt-jinja-functions/ref#forcing-dependencies is an example of how it is actually a feature used by dbt to give hints to build out the DAG.

If you need/want to comment out some code, you can replace {{ that appear within comments to be something else like { {:

select 1 as id
-- from { { ref("nonexistent_model") }}

This will prevent it from being recognized as Jinja that needs to be templated.