[OSRM-talk] [API] Role of profile

[Mateusz Loskot]

Hi,

I'm familiar with role of profile in the OSRM processing flow
as well as descriptions regarding profile and {profile} parameter
in the HTTP API docs.

Still. I'm not entirely clear about the profile role in the HTTP API URLs.

My current understanding is this:

1. profile is actively used during extraction phase of data processing
2. user can feed extraction with any custom profile as long as it is
valid for OSRM
3. generated .osrm package corresponds to single profile used during processign
3. once data extracted and contracted, and complete multi-file .osrm package
is ready, profile is not used
4. osrm-routed serves routing per single .osrm package, so single profile too.

When requesting osrm-route, I noticed
* custom profile is not referenced anywhere
* actually, profile seems not used

For example, I have simplistic .osrm package sample
extracted using custom xxx profile and osrm-routed at
http://localhost:5000, and both requests
return the same response valid for the sample data

route/v1/car/30,20;30,15
route/v1/xxx/30,20;30,15

in fact, any {profile} parameter works

/route/v1/nosuchprofile/30,20;30,15

Now, if I use libosrm API, neither engine config nor any of *Parameters
require specification of profile.

These observations as well as the fact that osrm-routed
serves single .osrm package, so no profile ambiguity is actually
possible, make me think the {profile} parameter in URLs is unused and redundant.

Is that correct?

Best regards
-- 
Mateusz Loskot, http://mateusz.loskot.net