# Using Dvc

> Provides commands and patterns for Data Version Control (DVC). Use when the user asks about versioning large files, creating pipelines, or reproducing experiments.

- Skill: `alanlee0323/using-dvc` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add alanlee0323/using-dvc`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/alanlee0323/using-dvc/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: Alanlee0323 (https://skillmd.com/u/alanlee0323)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/alanlee0323/using-dvc

---


# DVC Skill

Expert system for Data Version Control (DVC) operations.

## When to Use This Skill

This skill should be triggered when:
- Versioning large datasets or models (that git cannot handle)
- Defining and running reproducible data pipelines (`dvc.yaml`)
- Tracking and comparing machine learning experiments
- Debugging DVC cache or remote storage issues

## Quick Reference

### Common Patterns

**Pattern 1: Initialize DVC**
```bash
dvc init
git commit -m "Initialize DVC"
```

**Pattern 2: Versioning specific file**
```bash
dvc add data/data.xml
git add data/data.xml.dvc data/.gitignore
git commit -m "Add data.xml to DVC"
```

**Pattern 3: Define Pipeline Stage**
```bash
dvc stage add -n prepare \
  -d src/prepare.py -d data/data.xml \
  -o data/prepared \
  python src/prepare.py data/data.xml
```

**Pattern 4: Reproduce Pipeline**
```bash
dvc repro
```

**Pattern 5: Push/Pull Data**
```bash
dvc push
dvc pull
```

**Pattern 6: Metrics and Plots**
```bash
dvc metrics show
dvc plots show
```

### Example Code Patterns

**Example 1: Configure Remote (S3)**
```bash
dvc remote add -d myremote s3://mybucket/dvcstore
dvc remote modify myremote endpointurl https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com
```

**Example 2: DVC YAML Structure**
```yaml
stages:
  prepare:
    cmd: python src/prepare.py data/data.xml
    deps:
      - data/data.xml
      - src/prepare.py
    params:
      - prepare.seed
      - prepare.split
    outs:
      - data/prepared
```

## Reference Files

This skill includes documentation in `references/`:

- **other.md** - Practical workflow for data/model versioning, pipeline orchestration, experiments, and troubleshooting.

## usage

### For Beginners
Start with `dvc init` and `dvc add` to understand the basic workflow of tracking files alongside git.

### For Pipelines
Use `dvc run` (or edit `dvc.yaml` directly) to define stages. Use `dvc repro` to execute them.

### For Debugging
Use `dvc doctor` to diagnose environment issues.