duckdb.mk
github.com/ltrgoddard/duckdb.mk- Category
- Developer Tools
- Rank
- No. 2081Tools index
- Type
- TOOL
- Use case
- Data Processing
- GitHub
- 2 stars
- Latest release
- v0.1.1
- Date
About
duckdb.mk is a roughly 250-line file included in a Makefile that brings dbt-style, dependency-aware SQL pipeline builds to DuckDB without dbt's configuration overhead. It uses DuckDB's json_serialize_sql function to parse each SQL model's AST, automatically generates Make rules and a Mermaid dependency diagram, and rebuilds only the tables whose local or remote (HTTP-queried) dependencies have changed, producing Parquet output files.
At a glance
duckdb.mk builds a pipeline from SQL files by inferring their dependencies and writing Parquet outputs. It is worth trying for local analytics if you want a small build process without maintaining a separate orchestration project.
Good fit
Researchers and analysts with multi-step DuckDB queries and file-based outputs.
Consider something else when
Use a larger transformation system if you need incremental models, rich documentation or scheduling built in.
Start here
Create two queries where one reads the output of the other. Change the upstream query and verify which Parquet outputs rebuild.
Cost and requirements
MIT-licensed. The workflow requires DuckDB and Make and uses the documented project layout.
Limits to know
Dependency inference follows the supported SQL and naming conventions. Inspect the graph and outputs before trusting a rebuild of a more complex pipeline.
Sources checked 2026-11-05. Source-based assessment.
Why it made the leaderboard
Gives data engineers dbt-like incremental SQL builds without dbt's configuration overhead, useful for small research or data-journalism pipelines that don't need a full orchestration framework.
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Editorially curated, with community endorsements as a secondary signal. Corrections welcome.