[Impl] Allow generic tests to accept arbitrary configs

[jtcohen6]

Housekeeping

• I am a maintainer of dbt-core

Short description

Currently, we only support a specific set of named configurations for generic tests. That list is defined here and accessed here.

The context is that we support two syntaxes for passing configs into generic tests:

# recommended since dbt v0.20
models:
  - name: my_model
    columns:
      - name: colour
        tests:
          - accepted_values:
              values: ['blue', 'red']
              config:
                severity: warn

# legacy (supported for backwards compatibility)
models:
  - name: my_model
    columns:
      - name: colour
        tests:
          - accepted_values:
              values: ['blue', 'red']
              severity: warn                

In this example, values is an argument being passed into accepted_values, whereas severity is a configuration being set for the test.

In the legacy syntax, there is no distinction between "arguments" and "configurations." With the new recommended syntax, there is a distinction, because all configs are nested under config.

The desirable outcome is that:

• Users can pass whatever configs they want into config: (new syntax), e.g. snowflake_warehouse
• We continue to use the explicit list of named configs to provide backwards compatibility for the legacy syntax

Acceptance criteria

1. Users can pass whatever configs they want into config: (new syntax), e.g. snowflake_warehouse
2. We continue to use the explicit list of named configs to provide backwards compatibility for the legacy syntax

To make it concrete: In the following example, accepted_values_my_model_colour__blue__red should end up with both configurations severity: warn and custom_config: custom_value.

models:
  - name: my_model
    columns:
      - name: colour
        tests:
          - accepted_values:
              values: ['blue', 'red']
              severity: warn
              config:
                custom_config: custom_value

Suggested Tests

In the example above, the test should be parsed to have both configs: custom_config via recommended syntax, and severity via old syntax.

It should be possible to write a unit test for this, but the logic is baked into TestBuilder, which is quite complicated. Refactoring that is out of scope for this particular issue.

The closest existing functional test case is this one.

As such, it might be best to create a new functional test instead.

Impact to Other Teams

Adapters

Will backports be required?

no

Context

Original issue:

• [CT-908] Allow generic tests to accept arbitrary configs #5532

[FishtownBuildBot]

Opened a new issue in dbt-labs/docs.getdbt.com: dbt-labs/docs.getdbt.com#5610