databricks-local-dev-loop

name	databricks-local-dev-loop
description	Configure Databricks local development with Databricks Connect, Asset Bundles, and IDE. Use when setting up a local dev environment, configuring test workflows, or establishing a fast iteration cycle with Databricks. Trigger with phrases like "databricks dev setup", "databricks local", "databricks IDE", "develop with databricks", "databricks connect".
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Bash(pip:*), Bash(databricks:*), Grep
version	1.0.0
license	MIT
author	Jeremy Longshore <[e-mail]>
compatible-with	claude-code, codex, openclaw
tags	["saas","databricks","testing","workflow"]

Databricks Local Dev Loop

Overview

Set up a fast local development workflow using Databricks Connect v2, Asset Bundles, and VS Code. Databricks Connect lets you run PySpark code locally while executing on a remote Databricks cluster, giving you IDE debugging, fast iteration, and proper test isolation.

Prerequisites

• Completed databricks-install-auth setup
• Python 3.10+ (must match cluster's Python version)
• A running Databricks cluster (DBR 13.3 LTS+)
• VS Code or PyCharm

Instructions

Step 1: Project Structure

my-databricks-project/
├── src/
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── pipelines/
│   │   ├── __init__.py
│   │   ├── bronze.py          # Raw ingestion
│   │   ├── silver.py          # Cleansing transforms
│   │   └── gold.py            # Business aggregations
│   └── utils/
│       ├── __init__.py
│       └── helpers.py
├── tests/
│   ├── conftest.py            # Spark fixtures
│   ├── unit/
│   │   └── test_transforms.py # Local Spark tests
│   └── integration/
│       └── test_pipeline.py   # Databricks Connect tests
├── notebooks/
│   └── exploration.py
├── resources/
│   └── daily_etl.yml          # Job resource definitions
├── databricks.yml             # Asset Bundle root config
├── pyproject.toml
└── requirements.txt

Step 2: Install Development Tools

set -euo pipefail

# Create virtual environment
python -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate

# Databricks Connect v2 — version MUST match cluster DBR
pip install "databricks-connect==14.3.*"

# SDK and CLI
pip install databricks-sdk

# Testing
pip install pytest pytest-cov

# Verify Connect installation
databricks-connect test

Step 3: Configure Databricks Connect

Databricks Connect v2 reads from standard SDK auth (env vars, ~/.databrickscfg, or DATABRICKS_CLUSTER_ID).

# Set cluster for Connect to use
export DATABRICKS_HOST="https://adb-1234567890123456.7.azuredatabricks.net"
export DATABRICKS_TOKEN="dapi..."
export DATABRICKS_CLUSTER_ID=