# Fields tab

![Microsoft Excel Input step Fields tab](https://2745965000-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FvZoINBz5C5WnDZQlbOJQ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-e753c621a35c91bb7e985c60e787f125e782512b%2FPDI_TransStep_Microsoft_Excel_Input_Fields_Tab.png?alt=media)

The **Fields** tab shows field definitions for extracting values from the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The table in this tab contains the following columns:

| Column        | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**      | Name of field that maps to the corresponding field in the Microsoft Excel Input stream.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **Type**      | Data type of the input field.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| **Length**    | Length of the field.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| **Precision** | Number of floating point digits for number-type fields.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **Trim type** | The trim method to apply to a string.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| **Repeat**    | The corresponding value from the last row repeated if a row is empty.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| **Format**    | An optional mask for converting the format of the original field. See [Common Formats](https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/10.2-data-integration/pdi-transformation-steps-reference-overview/common-formats) for information on common valid date and numeric formats you can use in this step. |
| **Currency**  | Currency symbol (`$` or `€` for example).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| **Decimal**   | A decimal point can be a "`.`" (`5,000.00` for example) or "`,`" (`5.000,00` for example).                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| **Group**     | A grouping can be a "`,`" (`10,000.00` for example) or "`.`" (`5.000,00` for example).                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |

Click **Get fields from header row** to have the step populate the table with fields derived from the source file. All fields identified by this step will be added to the table.

See [Understanding PDI data types and field metadata](https://docs.pentaho.com/pdia-data-integration/10.2-data-integration/data-integration-perspective-in-the-pdi-client/advanced-topics-pdi-perspective/understanding-pdi-data-types-and-field-metadata) to maximize the efficiency of your transformation and job results.