How to change a field or field set definition

Target audience

Administrators who need to modify existing fields or field sets in Mavim.

Core purpose

This article explains how to update a field or field set definition, what happens when the field is already in use, and how to assign a field to another field set.

Steps to change a field or field set definition

Go to Tools > Administrative Tools > Field Administration.
Select the field or field set you want to modify.
Update the definition as needed.
- The process is the same as creating a new field or field set.

Scenarios when changing a field

Field is not in use
You can safely change the definition. The updated definition will be saved, and you can continue designing fields and field sets. See Design Fields and Field Sets.
Field is in use
If the field is already in use and you change its definition, all entered values will be lost.
- You will receive a warning before the change is applied.

Consequences

All values in the field will be removed from the database.
Always review the impact before making changes.

Assigning a field to another field set

Although a field can be part of several field sets at any given moment, you may want to remove a field from one field set and add it to another field set:

Delete the field from the current field set.
Add it to the new field set.

Important consequences:

All current values in the field will be lost.
If a field is assigned to multiple field sets and appears more than once for a topic, it will be displayed once for each field set.

Important notes

Changes can lead to data loss. Check dependencies before proceeding.
A warning will appear if the change causes data loss.