ignore --empty in unit test ref/source calls

.changes/unreleased/Fixes-20240923-202024.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+kind: Fixes
+body: Ignore --empty in unit test ref/source rendering
+time: 2024-09-23T20:20:24.151285+01:00
+custom:
+  Author: michelleark
+  Issue: "10516"

core/dbt/context/providers.py

@@ -634,6 +634,11 @@
 
 
 class RuntimeUnitTestRefResolver(RuntimeRefResolver):
+    @property
+    def resolve_limit(self) -> Optional[int]:
+        # Unit tests should never respect --empty flag or provide a limit since they are based on fake data.
+        return None
+
     def resolve(
         self,
         target_name: str,
@@ -676,6 +681,11 @@
 
 
 class RuntimeUnitTestSourceResolver(BaseSourceResolver):
+    @property
+    def resolve_limit(self) -> Optional[int]:
+        # Unit tests should never respect --empty flag or provide a limit since they are based on fake data.
+        return None
+
     def resolve(self, source_name: str, table_name: str):
         target_source = self.manifest.resolve_source(
             source_name,

tests/functional/test_empty.py

@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@
 from {{ source('seed_sources', 'raw_source') }}
 """
 
+model_no_ephemeral_ref_sql = """
+select *
+from {{ ref('model_input') }}
+union all
+select *
+from {{ source('seed_sources', 'raw_source') }}
+"""
+
 
 schema_sources_yml = """
 sources:
@@ -36,6 +44,29 @@
       - name: raw_source
 """
 
+unit_tests_yml = """
+unit_tests:
+  - name: test_my_model
+    model: model_no_ephemeral_ref
+    given:
+      - input: ref('model_input')
+        format: csv
+        rows: |
+          id
+          1
+      - input: source('seed_sources', 'raw_source')
+        format: csv
+        rows: |
+          id
+          2
+    expect:
+      format: csv
+      rows: |
+        id
+        1
+        2
+"""
+
 
 class TestEmptyFlag:
     @pytest.fixture(scope="class")
@@ -50,7 +81,9 @@ def models(self):
             "model_input.sql": model_input_sql,
             "ephemeral_model_input.sql": ephemeral_model_input_sql,
             "model.sql": model_sql,
+            "model_no_ephemeral_ref.sql": model_no_ephemeral_ref_sql,
             "sources.yml": schema_sources_yml,
+            "unit_tests.yml": unit_tests_yml,
         }
 
     def assert_row_count(self, project, relation_name: str, expected_row_count: int):