Altimate Data Engineering Skills

# Altimate Data Engineering Skills

> Skill by [ara.so](https://ara.so) — Data Skills collection.

Altimate Data Engineering Skills is a collection of Claude Code skills that encode the workflows and best practices of experienced analytics engineers. These skills transform Claude from a code generator into a capable data engineering assistant by teaching **how to approach tasks**, not just what syntax to use.

The project demonstrates 53% accuracy on ADE-bench (43 real-world dbt tasks), 3x improvement on model creation tasks, and 84% pass rate on Snowflake query optimization.

## What This Project Does

Data Engineering Skills provides:
- **7 dbt skills**: Model creation, debugging, testing, documentation, migration, refactoring, incremental models
- **3 Snowflake skills**: Cost analysis, query optimization by ID, query optimization by text
- **1 delegation skill**: Hand off complex tasks to altimate-code CLI tool
- **Workflow automation**: Skills trigger automatically based on user intent
- **Best practices**: Encoded patterns from experienced analytics engineers

Skills are markdown files with YAML frontmatter that define trigger conditions and step-by-step workflows.

## Installation

### Installing Skills in Claude Code

```bash
# Add the marketplace plugin
/plugin marketplace add AltimateAI/data-engineering-skills

# Install all skills
/plugin install dbt-skills@data-engineering-skills
/plugin install snowflake-skills@data-engineering-skills
/plugin install altimate-code@data-engineering-skills
```

### Installing Kits

Kits bundle skills, MCP servers, and instructions:

```bash
# Install altimate-code CLI (required for kits)
npm install -g altimate-code

# Install kit system
altimate-code kit install AltimateAI/data-engineering-skills

# Activate the dbt-snowflake kit
altimate-code kit activate dbt-snowflake

# Check status
altimate-code kit status
```

### Manual Installation

Clone and reference skills directly:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/AltimateAI/data-engineering-skills.git
cd data-engineering-skills
```

## Available Skills

### dbt Skills

**creating-dbt-models**: Creates new dbt models following project conventions
- Discovers existing patterns before writing
- Runs `dbt build` after creation (not just compile)
- Verifies output with `dbt show`
- Handles staging, intermediate, and mart models

**debugging-dbt-errors**: Troubleshoots dbt compilation and runtime errors
- Reads full error messages carefully
- Checks upstream dependencies
- Applies fixes and rebuilds
- Stops after 3 failed attempts to reassess

**testing-dbt-models**: Adds schema tests to models
- Studies existing test patterns in project
- Matches project testing style
- Covers uniqueness, not_null, relationships, accepted_values

**documenting-dbt-models**: Generates dbt model documentation
- Analyzes model logic and columns
- Creates descriptions for models and fields
- Follows project documentation patterns

**migrating-sql-to-dbt**: Converts legacy SQL to dbt models
- Parses raw SQL queries
- Creates proper dbt model structure
- Handles CTEs, refs, and sources

**refactoring-dbt-models**: Safely restructures dbt models
- Tracks all dependencies before changes
- Applies refactoring
- Verifies downstream models still work

**developing-incremental-models**: Creates incremental dbt models
- Selects appropriate strategy (append, merge, delete+insert)
- Designs proper unique_key
- Handles late-arriving data and edge cases

### Snowflake Skills

**finding-expensive-queries**: Identifies costly Snowf