Fields and icons are both visual elements that appear on a block, but they have different purposes.
Fields show or define data about a block that affects how a program functions. For example, the text block has two quotation marks, which indicate that you are defining a string, and a text input that lets you define that string. The quotation marks tell you about the function of the block, and the input lets you modify the function.
Icons show or define "meta" information about the block itself. For example, you can append a comment icon to any block, which lets you write notes to yourself, but does not affect how the block functions within the program.
Comparison of functionality
| Attribute | Fields | Icons |
|---|---|---|
| Rendering | Fields can be made of whatever elements they want. | Icons can be made of whatever elements they want. |
| Number | Fields can each appear any number of times in a block. | Icons can each appear once in a block. |
| Placement | Fields can be positioned in any location on any input of a block. | Icons are always positioned at the top-start of a block. |
| Serialization | Fields can be serialized, and often are. | Icons can be serialized, but are often not, because they often don't have state. |
| Collapsing | Fields are hidden when a block is collapsed and their text is shown instead. | Icons can control whether they are shown or hidden when the block is collapsed. |