> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://learn.nextedy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Fix Multi-Item Column Errors

> Resolve Nextedy POWERSHEET issues where columns representing many-to-many or one-to-many relationships display incorrectly, show only a single value, or fail to save in Siemens Polarion ALM.

export const LastReviewed = ({date}) => {
  if (!date) return null;
  const formatted = new Date(`${date}T00:00:00Z`).toLocaleDateString("en-US", {
    year: "numeric",
    month: "long",
    day: "numeric",
    timeZone: "UTC"
  });
  return <p className="mt-10 text-sm text-gray-400 dark:text-zinc-500 not-prose">
      Last reviewed on {formatted}
    </p>;
};

## Identify the Error

Multi-item column errors manifest as:

* A relationship column shows only one related item instead of multiple
* The cell editor opens as a single-value picker instead of a multi-item picker
* Saving linked work items fails or creates incorrect associations
* The second linked entity type column displays blank cells

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set `multiItem: true` on the Column">
    The most common cause is a missing `multiItem` property in the sheet configuration. When a column represents a collection (one-to-many or many-to-many relationship), you must explicitly set `multiItem: true`:

    ```yaml theme={null}
    columns:
      systemRequirements.systemRequirement.title:
        title: "Sys Req Title"
        width: 200
        hasFocus: true

      systemRequirements.systemRequirement.designRequirements.designRequirement.title:
        title: "Design Req Title"
        width: 200
        multiItem: true    # Required for collection columns
    ```

    <Warning title="Second linked entity always needs `multiItem: true`">
      When a parent entity links to multiple child entity types (e.g., `SystemRequirement` links to both `DesignRequirement` and `VerificationTestCase`), the second and subsequent linked columns **must** be declared with `multiItem: true` in the sheet configuration. This is a non-obvious requirement that frequently blocks new users.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the Relationship Cardinality">
    The `multiItem` property should align with the relationship cardinality in your data model:

    | Cardinality    | `multiItem` Needed? | Display Behavior                 |
    | -------------- | ------------------- | -------------------------------- |
    | `one-to-one`   | No                  | Single-value cell                |
    | `many-to-one`  | No                  | Single-value cell                |
    | `one-to-many`  | Yes                 | Multiple items with separators   |
    | `many-to-many` | Yes                 | Multiple items with linking mode |

    Check your data model `relationships` section:

    ```yaml theme={null}
    relationships:
      - from: SystemRequirement
        to: DesignRequirement
        cardinality: one-to-many       # Requires multiItem: true
        storage: linkedWorkItems
        linkRole: has_parent
        direct:
          name: designRequirements
        back:
          name: systemRequirement
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the Expansion Path">
    Multi-item columns require the corresponding expansion path to be defined in the `sources` section. Without expansion, the related entities will not load:

    ```yaml theme={null}
    sources:
      - model: my-model
        from: UserNeed
        expand:
          - systemRequirements.systemRequirement:
              - designRequirements.designRequirement        # Must be expanded
              - verificationTestCases.verificationTestCase   # Must be expanded
    ```

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/none-17b4493f/-WiVljKlDztH36bB/powersheet/diagrams/guides/troubleshooting/fix-multi-item-errors/diagram-1.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=-WiVljKlDztH36bB&q=85&s=9266c570d8849b15d9fcf1db84c1613a" alt="diagram" style={{ width: "520px", maxWidth: "100%" }} width="520" height="180" data-path="powersheet/diagrams/guides/troubleshooting/fix-multi-item-errors/diagram-1.svg" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the Display Property">
    Multi-item cells display a list of related items. Control what text appears for each item using the `display` property:

    ```yaml theme={null}
    columns:
      systemRequirements.systemRequirement.designRequirements.designRequirement:
        title: "Design Requirements"
        width: 250
        multiItem: true
        display: title           # Show title of each related item
    ```

    Available `display` values include `id`, `title`, and `titleOrName`.

    <Tip title="Start simple, then extend">
      Begin with a single-entity configuration that works correctly, then add multi-item columns one at a time. Jumping directly to complex multi-item configurations makes errors difficult to diagnose.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Multi-Item Editing Behavior">
    When `multiItem: true` is set correctly, double-clicking a multi-item cell opens an autocomplete editor with a dropdown for selecting additional items. Each item displays with a separator and an external link icon for navigation.

    Multi-item columns also support:

    * **Filtering**: Click the filter icon to filter by item combinations
    * **Linking mode**: For many-to-many relationships, use linking mode to create associations
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Verification

After applying the fix:

1. Save the sheet configuration
2. Reload the powersheet document
3. You should now see multiple related items displayed in the column, separated by semicolons
4. Double-click the cell to verify the multi-item picker opens with autocomplete functionality

## See Also

* [Configure Multi-Item Column](/powersheet/guides/sheet-configuration/configure-multi-item-column) -- full multi-item setup
* [Configure Many-to-Many Relationships](/powersheet/guides/data-model/configure-many-to-many) -- relationship setup
* [Configure Sources](/powersheet/guides/sheet-configuration/configure-sources) -- expansion path configuration
* [Incremental Configuration Approach](/powersheet/getting-started/incremental-configuration) -- build complexity gradually

***

<LastReviewed date="2026-07-02" />