# Best practice for adding existing field in multifield

**URL:** <https://forum.litium.com/t/best-practice-for-adding-existing-field-in-multifield/3083>\
**Category:** Questions\
**Tags:** litium-8\
**Created:** [October 5, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.litium.com/t/best-practice-for-adding-existing-field-in-multifield/3083 "2023-10-05T14:34:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gonzalo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4bbf92/32.png) [@Gonzalo](https://forum.litium.com/u/Gonzalo)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.litium.com/t/best-practice-for-adding-existing-field-in-multifield/3083/1 "2023-10-05T14:34:11Z")

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Example: I have a “textoption” field that I want to include within a multifield while preserving the current data.

I attempted this process, but the data doesn’t appear to be visible in the back office (BO). Upon inspecting the database, I noticed that the “ChildOwnerId” column lacks the value “name\_of\_multifield,” Could that be the reason for the issue?

Litium version: 8.10

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**Author:** ![utku](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.litium.com/utku/32/62_2.png) [@utku](https://forum.litium.com/u/utku)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 6:31am UTC](https://forum.litium.com/t/best-practice-for-adding-existing-field-in-multifield/3083/2 "2023-10-06T06:31:27Z")

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Hi, that is the issue. It is designed so that you can use a field both as it is and in a multifield also. So if the textoption field was used as it is before it is not merged to the multifield when you create it afterwards. You can set the ChildOwnerId and ChildIndex in the database but you have to use a new redis cache (if you are using redis cache) then restart the application and finally rebuild the indices. Multifields are not indexed per default. New redis cache means that all the users lose their shopping carts!

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**Author:** ![Gonzalo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4bbf92/32.png) [@Gonzalo](https://forum.litium.com/u/Gonzalo)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 7:39am UTC](https://forum.litium.com/t/best-practice-for-adding-existing-field-in-multifield/3083/3 "2023-10-06T07:39:12Z")

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Quick question: What does the ChildIndex do? Is it the order of fields in a multifield that is shown in BO?

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**Author:** ![patric.forsgard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/user_avatar/forum.litium.com/patric.forsgard/32/10_2.png) [@patric.forsgard](https://forum.litium.com/u/patric.forsgard)\
**Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 8:03am UTC](https://forum.litium.com/t/best-practice-for-adding-existing-field-in-multifield/3083/4 "2023-10-06T08:03:32Z")

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`ChildIndex` is pointing to each groups of fields that is added in the multifield.

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex030/uploads/litium/original/1X/12eddac3b8b661de1db86af10ac8151b571e6fb9.png) [@system](https://forum.litium.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 3, 2023, 8:03am UTC](https://forum.litium.com/t/best-practice-for-adding-existing-field-in-multifield/3083/5 "2023-11-03T08:03:36Z")

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Closed on November 3, 2023, 8:03am UTC

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