# Baselines

ChartSQL introduces baseline marks/lines to add context and reference points to chart visualizations. These lines represent significant values such as the average, min, max, median of a series. Baselines provide visual cues for comparison against a common or target value.

See [Baselines](/charts/formatting-and-rendering/baselines.md) examples and the [@baselines](/reference/directives/baselines.md) and [@baseline-types](/reference/directives/baseline-types.md) directives.

```sql
-- @chart: column
-- @title: Baselines - Average Baseline
-- @subtitle: An example column chart showing sales by month
-- @formats: currency
-- @series: Sales
-- @baselines: Sales
SELECT 
	TRUNC(date_closed, 'MONTH') as Month,
	sum(amount) as Sales
FROM sales
GROUP BY TRUNC(date_closed, 'MONTH')
ORDER BY TRUNC(date_closed, 'MONTH') ASC
```

<figure><img src="/files/gwKyBu3l6WXw4tYFqzrc" alt=""><figcaption><p>An example column chart with a baseline</p></figcaption></figure>

## Baseline Directives Overview

* `@baselines`: Specifies the series to which baselines are applied and indicates the presence of baseline lines in the chart.
* `@baseline-types` (optional): Sets the type of baselines on the specified series. If omitted, the default type, 'average', is applied. Supported types include: 'average', 'min', 'max', or 'median'

## Examples

A column chart showcasing average sales with a baseline for the average value:

```sql
-- @chart: column
-- @title: Baselines - Average Baseline
-- @subtitle: An example column chart showing sales by month
-- @formats: currency
-- @series: Sales
-- @baselines: Sales
SELECT 
	TRUNC(date_closed, 'MONTH') as Month,
	sum(amount) as Sales
FROM sales
GROUP BY TRUNC(date_closed, 'MONTH')
ORDER BY TRUNC(date_closed, 'MONTH') ASC
```

<figure><img src="/files/gwKyBu3l6WXw4tYFqzrc" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

A chart with multiple baselines with specified types:

```sql
-- @chart: column
-- @title: Baselines - Multiple Baseline Types on one Series
-- @subtitle: An example column chart showing sales by month
-- @formats: currency
-- @series: Sales
-- @baselines: Sales, Sales, Sales
-- @baseline-types: average, min, max
SELECT 
	TRUNC(date_closed, 'MONTH') as Month,
	sum(amount) as Sales
FROM sales
GROUP BY TRUNC(date_closed, 'MONTH')
ORDER BY TRUNC(date_closed, 'MONTH') ASC
```

<figure><img src="/files/hA04UBtxTjnjlOkhClf9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Default Behavior

Without specifying types or labels, baselines default to drawing an 'average' line across the specified series in the chart.


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