# Is there an equivalent of \`get\_columns\_in\_relation\` that works is aware of evolving schema?

**URL:** https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-get-columns-in-relation-that-works-is-aware-of-evolving-schema/13855
**Category:** Help
**Created:** [June 17, 2024, 10:59pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-get-columns-in-relation-that-works-is-aware-of-evolving-schema/13855 "2024-06-17T22:59:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
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### Author: ![joellabes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/discourse.getdbt.com/joellabes/32/3980_2.png) [@joellabes](https://discourse.getdbt.com/u/joellabes)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2024, 6:37pm UTC](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/is-there-an-equivalent-of-get-columns-in-relation-that-works-is-aware-of-evolving-schema/13855/4 "2024-06-26T18:37:01Z")

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> [@cbruun](#):
>
> In our development process, we want to run compile and then do some checking on the compiled SQL to make sure there are no breaking changes in the pipeline before it runs. In particular, a breaking change can include referencing a column that does not exist in an upstream model. We want these checks to run on production.

I’m with you right up until “We want these checks to run on production”. Right now it sounds like you are manually verifying your queries which is why you’re getting unexpected behaviours.

You should be running these validations inside of a separate CI environment, which will build modified nodes in a short-lived schema that is dropped when your PR is merged. (Unmodified nodes will still defer to production - this is called “Slim CI”)

Read more about how CI works here: [Continuous integration in dbt Cloud | dbt Developer Hub](https://docs.getdbt.com/docs/deploy/continuous-integration), and how we implemented it at my last company here: [How we sped up our CI runs by 10x using Slim CI](https://discourse.getdbt.com/t/how-we-sped-up-our-ci-runs-by-10x-using-slim-ci/2603)

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