Star macro syntax error

While developing a model in 0.12.1 and 0.12.2 we have run into an issue with the dbt_utils.star macro. We are using an Amazon Redshift database. We received the following error:

Found 106 models, 80 tests, 0 archives, 0 analyses, 201 macros, 2 operations, 0 seed files

14:38:12 | Concurrency: 1 threads (target='test_db')
14:38:12 | 
14:38:12 | 1 of 1 START table model public.star_example......................... [RUN]
14:38:21 | 1 of 1 ERROR creating table model public.star_example................ [ERROR in 8.92s]
14:38:21 | 
14:38:21 | Finished running 1 table models in 11.72s.

Completed with 1 errors:

Database Error in model star_example (models/dbt-util-issue/star_example.sql)
  syntax error at or near "FROM"
  LINE 16: FROM __dbt__CTE__underlying_data
           ^
  compiled SQL at target/compiled/fulla/dbt-util-issue/star_example.sql

In our situation, dbt will throw a syntax error if the macro is the only field stated in the SELECT statement. Here is a minimal, reproducible example:

# star_example.sql

{{
  config(
    materialized = 'table'
  )
}}

SELECT
  {{ dbt_utils.star(from = ref('underlying_data'), except = ["team"]) }}
FROM {{ ref ('underlying_data') }}

# underlying_data.sql

{{
  config(
    materialized = 'ephemeral'
  )
}}

SELECT
  'patrick' AS name,
  1 AS team

Here is the compiled code:

# star_example.sql (compiled)


with __dbt__CTE__underlying_data as (


SELECT
  'patrick' AS name,
  1 AS team
)SELECT
  
FROM __dbt__CTE__underlying_data

[drewbanin]

(I’d recommend making underlying_data.sql a view model here if you’re intent on using the star macro)

[drewbanin]

Thanks for the report @patdough5. The star macro uses the information_schema.columns table to find all of the columns in a relation. As such, it definitely won’t work with an ephemeral model. I’ve long had an item on my todo list to 1) throw an error message if an ephemeral model is passed to star and 2) update the docs accordingly.

Let’s leave this issue open and use it to track these changes. Thanks!