# Routing Functions

Routing is the navigation from a defined start location to a defined end location. The calculated results are displayed as turn-by-turn directions on your map, based on the transportation mode that you specified. Routing services through CartoDB are available by requesting a single function in the Data Services API.

### cdb_route_point_to_point(_origin geometry(Point), destination geometry(Point), mode text, [options text[], units text]_)

#### Arguments

Name | Type | Description | Accepted values
--- | --- | --- | ---
`origin` | `geometry(Point)` | Origin point, in 4326 projection, which defines the start location. |
`destination` | `geometry(Point)` | Destination point, in 4326 projection, which defines the end location. |
`mode` | `text` | Type of transport used to calculate the isolines. | `car`, `walk`, `bicycle` or `public_transport`
`options` | `text[]` | (Optional) Multiple options to add more capabilities to the analysis. See [Optional routing parameters](#optional-routing-parameters) for details.
`units` | `text` | Unit used to represent the length of the route. | `kilometers`, `miles`. By default is `kilometers`


#### Returns

Name | Type | Description
--- | --- | ---
`duration` | `integer` | Duration in seconds of the calculated route.
`length` | `real` | Length in the defined unit in the `units` field. `kilometers` by default .
`the_geom` | `geometry(LineString)` | LineString geometry of the calculated route in the 4326 projection.

#### Examples

##### Insert the values from the calculated route in your table

```bash
INSERT INTO <TABLE> (duration, length, the_geom) SELECT duration, length, shape FROM cdb_route_point_to_point('POINT(-3.70237112 40.41706163)'::geometry,'POINT(-3.69909883 40.41236875)'::geometry, 'car')
```
##### Update the geometry field with the calculated route shape

```bash
UPDATE <TABLE> SET the_geom = (SELECT shape FROM cdb_route_point_to_point('POINT(-3.70237112 40.41706163)'::geometry,'POINT(-3.69909883 40.41236875)'::geometry, 'car', ARRAY['mode_type=shortest']::text[]))
```

### Optional routing parameters

The optional value parameters must be passed using the format: `option=value`.

Name | Type | Description | Accepted values
--- | --- | --- | ---
`mode_type` | `text` | Type of route calculation | `shortest` (this option only applies to the car transport mode)