What must be specified if you want to use a profile other than the default in dbt?

To use a profile other than the default in dbt, it is necessary to incorporate the --profile flag in the command when executing dbt commands. This allows the user to explicitly define which profile to use from the profiles.yml file, enabling flexibility in managing different environments or configurations without altering the default settings directly. By specifying the profile this way, users can easily switch between different database connections or configurations depending on their needs for various projects or stages of development.

In contrast, simply modifying the dbt_project.yml file would affect the project's profile settings globally, which is not desirable if only an occasional switch between profiles is required. Specifying the profile in the target directory does not relate directly to the functionality of selecting a profile when running dbt commands. The assertion that the profile cannot be changed once set is incorrect as dbt is built to allow for adaptability and different profile configurations based on the user’s requirements.