Dbt: Compile arbitrary files in `target` directory

[clrcrl]

Describe the feature

As a dbt user, I want to be able to include images in my target directory, so that my docs can render the images.

Currently, to show images in the docs, you can do something like this:

!["Jaffle Shop ERD"](jaffle_shop_erd.png "Jaffle Shop ERD")

But this only works if jaffle_shop_erd.png is in the target directory.

Thoughts:

• Group these assets into a static directory to give a user control over what is and isn't compiled.
• Should this have a config in the dbt_project.yml like this:

asset_paths: ['static']

(I have no idea what the right word is here)

Describe alternatives you've considered

N/A

Additional context

N/A

Who will this benefit?

users of the documentation feature

[drewbanin]

This reminds me a little bit of #1318. I wonder if there are ways to load up arbitrary-ish files in this directory and either 1) compile them into the target dir or 2) make them available in the compilation context. We'll probably want to solve each of these issues separately, but it does feel like there's some conceptual overlap here.

[aroder]

You could consider putting the responsibility on the user. Like maybe allowing them to configure a path to a rollup config file or something.

I could see this becoming a rabbit hole once users want more functionality about what to include and how to include it.

Either way, this will be a great feature!

[radian21]

I agree this feature would be really useful. It would enhance the power of the dbt generated docs for organizations wishing to decorate the docs with additional image content that adds more end user value. For example, I'm using the dbt auto-docs as a data dictionary for non-technical and a launching point to explain the data platform I've built for end users. Having the ability to customize the content with images that represent my organizational context helps me simplify and improve my communication with users making the docs more approachable and a little less technical.

The contributors to the dbt project are amazing. You're doing great work!

[drewbanin]

Cool! Let's go ahead and add an asset_paths: ['static'] config to dbt_project.yml as @clrcrl has shown above.

This path will be copied over directly into the target/static/ directory using the same folder structure as the source folder. dbt should _not_ whitelist file extensions when copying over files from this path.

Let's make it happen!

[andrewcstewart]

This is a great feature idea!

One cool little bonus that this feature would enable: the ability to author and manage Draw.io diagrams alongside your dbt documentation, in the form of editable PNGs that can live directly in the assets dir (see https://github.com/jgraph/drawio/wiki/Embed-Diagrams).