Custom data fields
Out of the box (or more accurately, off the website), the fields included in CiviCRM to store your data are pretty basic. They include standard communication fields (phone, e-mail, website, and so on), address fields (street, city, state/province, country), demographics (gender, birth date, and so on), and a few additional miscellaneous fields.
Whether you are migrating from an existing database or starting from scratch, you will inevitably have additional data you need to store in fields. CiviCRM provides for this need through its custom data tools.
Custom data consists of groups and fields. You first define a group and assign it to an existing data object; you then create fields within that group.
By data object, we mean an existing type of record. Your custom fields will extend some type of record in your system, such as individual contacts, membership records, or groups. You configure what record type will be extended, along with any associated subtypes or options, when...
