@@ -6,36 +6,39 @@ CiviCRM has a flexible custom data system which allows nearly any entity to be e
Because single-record fields extend an entity 1-to-1, the API treats the custom fields as an extension of the regular fields. For example, normally an Event has fields like `id`, `title`, `start_date`, `end_date`, etc. Adding a custom group named "Event_Extra" and a field named "Room_number" would be accessible from the API as "Event_Extra.Room_number". You would retrieve it and set it as if it were any other field. Note that the `name` of a field is not to be confused with the `label` The API refers to custom groups/fields by name and not user-facing labels which are subject to translation and alteration.
For setting custom date fields, date format is anything understood by `strtotime`, e.g. "now" or "-1 week" or "2020-12-25".
## Multi-Record Custom Data
Multiple record custom data sets are treated by the API as entities, which work similarly to other entities attached to contacts (Phone, Email, Address, etc.). For example, creating a multi-record set named "Work_History" could then be accessed via the API as an entity named "Custom_Work_History" when accessing it via all forms except for in the PHP Object Oriented format, in that format the class you will be accessing is `CustomValue`. Creating a record would be done like so:
Multiple record custom data sets are treated by the API as entities, which work similarly to other entities attached to contacts (Phone, Email, Address, etc.). For example, creating a multi-record set named "Work_History" could then be accessed via the API as an entity named "Custom_Work_History". Creating a record would be done like so:
New custom fields can be configured to store different types of data (Text, Date, Number, URL, etc.). In most cases the I/O format via the api will be a string, however there are a few exceptions:
-**Date fields:** Input format is anything understood by `strtotime`, e.g. "now" or "-1 week" or "2020-12-25". Output format is the ISO string "YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS".
-**Checkbox/multi-select fields:** I/O format is an array of option values.
## Try It Out
Once you have created some custom data in your system, look for it in the API explorer. Single-record data will appear as fields on the entities they extend, and multi-record data will appear in the list of entities (look under "C" alphabetically as they all start with the prefix "Custom_".
Once you have created some custom data in your system, look for it in the API Explorer. Single-record data will appear as fields on the entities they extend, and multi-record data will appear in the list of entities (look under "C" alphabetically as they all start with the prefix "Custom_".