Node Types

Every Node in Coalesce belongs to a Node Type. The Node Type defines how Nodes of that type are configured, how their SQL is generated, and how they behave during deployment and refresh.

Node Types vary along two independent dimensions:

• Where they come from. Coalesce ships default Node Types and packages of hardened patterns, and you can build Custom Node Types of your own.
• How their Nodes are authored. A YAML Node Type configures Nodes through the mapping grid and a structured config panel. A SQL Node Type configures Nodes through SQL: you author each Node as a SELECT statement with inline annotations, stored as a .sql file. See the SQL Annotations Reference for how annotation values reach deployed SQL.

Any combination is valid. Packages ship both YAML and SQL Node Types, and a Custom Node Type you build can be either.

Formerly Node Type V1 and V2

Earlier releases called these Node Type V1 (mapping-grid authored) and Node Type V2 (SQL authored). The Coalesce app still labels the choice Node V1 and Node V2 under Build Settings > Node Types, and its Version column shows V1 or V2. YAML Node Types are V1; SQL Node Types are V2.

For guidance on which to use where, see Choosing Between YAML and SQL Node Types. The short version: use YAML Node Types for persistent, curated layers such as Dimensions and Facts, and SQL Node Types for staging and transformation-heavy layers.

What Every Node Type Shares

Both kinds are built from the same parts:

• A Node Metadata Spec describing the type and how its Nodes are configured.
• A Create Template (Jinja) that generates DDL during deploy.
• A Run Template (Jinja) that generates DML during run and refresh.

Deployment, execution, DAG and column-level lineage, and {{ ref() }} references work the same for both, and YAML and SQL Nodes connect freely in one pipeline.

Working in This Section

• Choosing Between YAML and SQL Node Types - which fits each layer of your pipeline.
• Working with SQL Nodes - author, configure, and troubleshoot SQL Nodes.
• Custom Node Types - build your own Node Types of either kind.

Data Platform Support

SQL Node Types are supported on Snowflake and BigQuery. YAML Node Types are supported on all Coalesce data platforms.

What's Next

• Choosing Between YAML and SQL Node Types for the decision guide.
• Getting Started with SQL Nodes to create your first SQL Node.
• SQL Annotations Reference for annotation syntax and the reserved set.
• Defining a SQL Node Type to build a SQL Node Type of your own.
• Nodes and Node Types for the fundamentals.