Dlt

As explained in DuckDB in Action

dlt is an open-source Python library for loading data from varied sources into destinations while inferring and managing destination schemas.

dlt is an open-source Python library for loading messy data from varied sources into destinations. Its pipeline function infers destination schemas, manages schema versions, and lets later processing remain unchanged across JSON, DataFrames, and iterable sources. section 8.2

A practical dlt workflow connects:

• Predefined sources such as SQL databases, GitHub, APIs, and chess.com. section 8.2
• A destination such as DuckDB, with metadata and inferred tables created automatically. section 8.2 section 8.2.2
• Selected resources passed to pipeline.run after defining the source and pipeline. section 8.2.2

Load chess profiles into DuckDB

Initialize a project with `dlt init chess duckdb`, then define `dlt.pipeline(pipeline_name="chess_pipeline", destination="duckdb", dataset_name="main")`. Select `players_profiles` from a chess.com source and run `pipeline.run(players_profiles)`. DuckDB contains the inferred `players_profiles` table alongside `_dlt_loads`, `_dlt_pipeline_state`, and `_dlt_version`. Adding `players_games` to the same run loads 589 game records. section 8.2.1 section 8.2.2

Figure 8.2 Ingesting data from chess.com into DuckDB

A pipeline diagram shows the flow from chess.com ingestion into DuckDB. section 8.2

How DuckDB in Action covers it

How deep it goes

Explains installation, initialization, source selection, execution, and result inspection, but defers custom source and destination definitions.

Examples

Demonstrates chess.com player profiles and games loaded into DuckDB through CLI initialization and Python execution.

What it assumes

Assumes a working Python environment and pip, and requires the DuckDB Python extension for the demonstrated destination.

What you can do after

Build it from scratch by initializing, configuring, running, and inspecting a dlt pipeline with a supported source and destination.

How it connects

Connects Python pipelines, APIs, DuckDB, schema inference, schema versioning, and iterable data sources.

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Related concepts

• Pythonuses · Python is a high-level, general-purpose, dynamically typed programming language known for readable syntax and automatic memory management.
• DuckDBuses · DuckDB is an open-source, in-process analytical database management system with a columnar-vectorized execution engine for fast local querying.
• schemauses · A data schema is a formal specification of the structure, fields, types, relationships, and constraints of data.
• pipelineuses · A pipeline is an ordered or coordinated sequence of connected processing stages or tasks that passes data, work, or results toward an outcome.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of DuckDB in Action. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.