Answers.Body: <p>One way is to use the <a href="https://docs.civicrm.org/dev/en/latest/api/#api-explorer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">API Explorer</a>. </p>
  
  <p>Here's a demo of how it shows you field comments: </p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LEKg3.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LEKg3.png" alt="Api Explorer"></a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-07-11T20:43:43.110Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-07-11T20:43:43.110Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sean
Answers.Body: <p>One way is to look in the MySQL database directly, if you have access to it. Each table is defined with <strong>comments</strong> for most of the columns, and I have found them to be quite useful. </p>
  
  <p>A great way to inspect the databse directly is to use <a href="https://www.mysql.com/products/workbench/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MySQL Workbench</a>. You can right click on the table and choose <strong>Table inspector</strong>. Here's a screenshot of it which demonstrates its ability to display field comments...</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/NSZcl.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/NSZcl.png" alt="Table inspector"></a></p>
  
  <p>Other database inspection tools like <a href="https://www.phpmyadmin.net/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">phpMyAdmin</a> should have similar functionality. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-07-11T20:37:53.290Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-07-11T20:37:53.290Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sean
Answers.Body: <p>One way is to look at the XML schema definitions in the source code. Here is an example of this for <a href="https://github.com/civicrm/civicrm-core/blob/master/xml/schema/Contribute/ContributionRecur.xml" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ContributionRecur</a>.</p>
  
  <p>To make sense of this code though, you need to read that XML. Look for the <code>&lt;field&gt;</code> tags. For example you can see that the field named <code>frequency_interval</code> has a <code>&lt;comment&gt;</code> tag which says <em>"Number of time units for recurrence of payment."</em>. There's also an explaination of <a href="https://docs.civicrm.org/dev/en/latest/framework/schema-definition/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">what all those XML tags mean</a>. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-07-11T20:31:33.853Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-07-11T20:31:33.853Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Sean
Answers.Body: <p>I assume there is a question behind this question: what should I put where? I am doubtfull if an answer to your question on a list of fields will solve that for you. If my assumption is correct it might be an idea to create some user stories of what you want to achieve rather than look at a list of fields?</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-07-12T21:56:16.360Z
Answers.Text: I am working on importing data from current database to CiviCRM and it would be very useful if we had some info what the CiviCRM fields were for beyond just the name,
Answers.UserDisplayName: chrisfs
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-07-12T12:12:44.200Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-07-12T12:12:44.200Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: ErikH - CiviCooP
Body: <p>I am working on importing information from our current donor database to Civi. 
  Is there a table that lists the field names within each table and an explanation of what that is?
  Specifically I am looking at ContributionRecur entity and I would like an explanation of the fields beyond the field name that's in one place. 
  Ideally each entity would have something like that. </p>
  
  <p>I have looked in the User Guide but I can't find that sort of thing. 
  Can anyone point me as to where it would be ?</p>
  
Tags: <civicontribute><import>
Title: List of fields and explanations?
ThreadText: # List of fields and explanations?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-07-11)
  
  I am working on importing information from our current donor database to Civi.
  Is there a table that lists the field names within each table and an explanation of what that is?
  Specifically I am looking at ContributionRecur entity and I would like an explanation of the fields beyond the field name that's in one place.
  Ideally each entity would have something like that.
  
  I have looked in the User Guide but I can't find that sort of thing.
  Can anyone point me as to where it would be ?
  
  **Tags:** civicontribute, import
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-07-11. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
  
  One way is to use the [API Explorer](https://docs.civicrm.org/dev/en/latest/api/#api-explorer).
  
  Here's a demo of how it shows you field comments:
  
  [![Api Explorer](https://i.sstatic.net/LEKg3.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/LEKg3.png)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-07-11. Score: 2
  
  One way is to look in the MySQL database directly, if you have access to it. Each table is defined with **comments** for most of the columns, and I have found them to be quite useful.
  
  A great way to inspect the databse directly is to use [MySQL Workbench](https://www.mysql.com/products/workbench/). You can right click on the table and choose **Table inspector**. Here's a screenshot of it which demonstrates its ability to display field comments...
  
  [![Table inspector](https://i.sstatic.net/NSZcl.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/NSZcl.png)
  
  Other database inspection tools like [phpMyAdmin](https://www.phpmyadmin.net/) should have similar functionality.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-07-11. Score: 1
  
  One way is to look at the XML schema definitions in the source code. Here is an example of this for [ContributionRecur](https://github.com/civicrm/civicrm-core/blob/master/xml/schema/Contribute/ContributionRecur.xml).
  
  To make sense of this code though, you need to read that XML. Look for the `<field>` tags. For example you can see that the field named `frequency_interval` has a `<comment>` tag which says *"Number of time units for recurrence of payment."*. There's also an explaination of [what all those XML tags mean](https://docs.civicrm.org/dev/en/latest/framework/schema-definition/).
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-07-12. Score: 0
  
  I assume there is a question behind this question: what should I put where? I am doubtfull if an answer to your question on a list of fields will solve that for you. If my assumption is correct it might be an idea to create some user stories of what you want to achieve rather than look at a list of fields?
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I am working on importing data from current database to CiviCRM and it would be very useful if we had some info what the CiviCRM fields were for beyond just the name,  
  
  ---
  
  