> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.chartsql.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.chartsql.com/reference/directives/category.md).
# @category
Defines the column from the result set that will serve as the primary xAxis category or pie chart category.
## Quick Reference
```sql
-- @category: Month
```
## Valid Values
`One Of`
Must be a column name from the result set
## Full Example
```sql
-- @chart: Line
-- @title: Line - Sales by Month
-- @subtitle: An example line chart showing sales by month
-- @category: Month
-- @formats: currency
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
```
Sample Data
## Use Cases
When you do not want the @category columns auto-detected, you specify @category to pick the particular columns that you want used on the main axis.
