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dft check

Fast YAML schema and cross-reference validation. No DB hit, no execute. Use it for sub-second checks in editors, pre-commit hooks, and CI.

dft check [OPTIONS] PATH

Arguments

Argument Description
PATH Path to face YAML file (required).

Options

Flag Description
--project-dir PATH Project root for resolving relative paths.
--json Output as JSON.
--strict / --no-strict Exit 1 on warnings. Default: off.

Examples

dft check faces/sales.yml
dft check faces/sales.yml --json
dft check faces/sales.yml --strict

What it checks

  • YAML syntax
  • Schema conformance (every field, every chart family, every query shape)
  • Cross-references inside the face (chart query: names exist, rows: references exist, variable references resolve)
  • Variable defaults and types
  • Field-level constraints (enums, ranges, mutually exclusive options)

What it does not check

  • Whether referenced dbt models / metrics / tables actually exist in the warehouse
  • Whether queries execute successfully
  • Whether columns return rows
  • Chart-render output

For those, use dft validate or dft render.

check vs validate

Aspect dft check dft validate
YAML schema ✓ ✓
Cross-references inside face ✓ ✓
Warehouse references (models, sources, metrics) ✗ ✓
Speed Sub-second Slower, hits the manifest
Use case Editor / pre-commit / CI fast lane Full validation before deploy