dbt-core-mcp: Instructions file for GitHub Copilot

Tool Testing Protocol

Purpose

Comprehensive test sequence to showcase tool functionality, TDD workflow, progress reporting, and error handling.

When to Run This Protocol

Execute this test sequence when the user requests:

• "show and tell" / "demo" / "demonstrate"
• "run the test sequence" / "run tool tests"
• "showcase the tools" / "test the tools"
• "verify the changes" / "test the progress reporting"

Test Sequence to execute

Prerequisites: MCP Server Setup

OPTIONAL: You can restart the MCP server for a fresh start, but it's not required:

1. Optional Restart: Increment _RESTART counter in .vscode/mcp.json if desired
2. Verify Tools: Test key dbt-core-mcp tools are working:
   • get_project_info(run_debug=false)
   • list_resources()
   • query_database(sql="SELECT 1 as test")
3. Confirm Resources: Verify project has expected structure (3 models, 2 seeds, sources, tests)

If tools are not available, STOP and troubleshoot before proceeding.

Demo Execution Rules

YOU MUST run each step in order, observing the expected outputs and behaviors. Do not call the next step until the current step is fully verified.

YOU MUST introduce yourself and explain the overall purpose before starting the sequence.

For each step:

• Before running, briefly explain to the user what the step is demonstrating.
• Before every tool call, express the intent.
• SQL Display Rule: ALWAYS show SQL code in markdown ```sql blocks before executing query_database
• After every tool call, explain the result returned.
• After running, summarize the observed results and confirm they match expectations.

Phase 1: Project Discovery

Narrative: "Every great data journey starts with understanding what you're working with. Let's explore this jaffle_shop project together and see what resources are available. Think of this as getting your bearings in a new codebase - we want to know what models exist, what data sources we have, and whether everything is properly connected."