# Issue with dataset filter - multi-reference field

**URL:** <https://forum.wixstudio.com/t/issue-with-dataset-filter-multi-reference-field/8338>\
**Category:** Ask the community\
**Tags:** code, question\
**Created:** [March 10, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://forum.wixstudio.com/t/issue-with-dataset-filter-multi-reference-field/8338 "2021-03-10T17:38:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jennifer76649](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wix/user_avatar/forum.wixstudio.com/jennifer76649/32/1030_2.png) [@jennifer76649](https://forum.wixstudio.com/u/jennifer76649)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://forum.wixstudio.com/t/issue-with-dataset-filter-multi-reference-field/8338/1 "2021-03-10T17:38:43Z")

</div>

I looked at other posts on similar issues, but since most of the posts I found were 2+ years old, I’m making a new one.

Here is the situation: I’m working on a product catalog demo. The page has two datasets, one for the product categories and the other for the products themselves. There are 6 dropdowns to filter the products. All of the filters work except one, and that is the product category. The productCategories field in the Products collection is a multi-reference field so that the products can be connected to multiple categories in the Categories collection. I have a button on the page that takes all the field values and runs the filter. Here is my code:

export function button2\_click(event) {  
**let** lumenval = $w( “#dropdownLumens” ).value;  
**let** lumenparts = lumenval.split( ‘-’ );  
**let** lumenmin = parseFloat(lumenparts[0]);  
**let** lumenmax = parseFloat(lumenparts[1]);

**let** categoryVal = $w( “#dropdownCats” ).value;  
**let** categoryParts = categoryVal.split( ‘.’ );  
**let** catTitle = categoryParts[0];  
**let** catIndex = parseFloat(categoryParts[1]);  
console.log( 'category: ’ +catTitle+ ’ index: ’ +catIndex);

```
        $w( "#dataset2" ).setFilter( wixData.filter() 
            .eq( 'title' ,catTitle) 
        ) 
        .then( () =>{ 
              $w( "#dataset2" ).setCurrentItemIndex(catIndex); 

	   **let** catObj = $w( "#dataset2" ).getCurrentItem(); 
               console.log(catObj.title+ ', ' +catObj._id); 

                $w( "#dataset1" ).setFilter( wixData.filter() 
                .between( "maxLumens" , lumenmin, lumenmax) 
                .contains( "colorTemperatures" , $w( "#dropdown1" ).value) 
                .contains( "watts" , $w( "#dropdown2" ).value) 
                .contains( "voltage" , $w( "#dropdown4" ).value) 
                .contains( "additionalOptions" , $w( "#dropdown5" ).value) 
                .contains( "productCategories" , catObj._id) 
            ) 
        }) 

```

}  
Setting the currentItemIndex seems to be working, but I think I’m not doing the actual filter part right. I tried .eq( “productCategories” , catObj.\_id) and .includes( “productCategories” , catObj.\_id), but neither of those worked either. When I tried .includes, I got a “not a function” error. If I comment out the .contains( “productCategories” , catObj.\_id) line, the other filters work, so what am I doing wrong with this one?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jennifer76649](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wix/user_avatar/forum.wixstudio.com/jennifer76649/32/1030_2.png) [@jennifer76649](https://forum.wixstudio.com/u/jennifer76649)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://forum.wixstudio.com/t/issue-with-dataset-filter-multi-reference-field/8338/2 "2021-03-11T22:50:53Z")

</div>

I reworked things a bit and figured out a sort of solution. It may not be a great solution, but it works. Basically, I added a field to my collection called prodCats, and entered my product categories as comma-separated text, and used that field to filter the products instead of trying to use the ProductCategories reference field.

export function button2\_click(event) {  
**let** lumenval = $w( “#dropdownLumens” ).value;  
**let** lumenparts = lumenval.split( ‘-’ );  
**let** lumenmin = parseFloat(lumenparts[0]);  
**let** lumenmax = parseFloat(lumenparts[1]);  
**let** count = 0 ;  
**let** catObj;  
**let** categoryVal = $w( “#dropdownCats” ).value;  
**let** catTitle;  
**let** categoryParts = categoryVal.split( ‘.’ );  
catTitle = categoryParts[0];

```
        $w( "#dataset1" ).setFilter( wixData.filter() 
            .contains( "prodCats" , catTitle) 
            .between( "maxLumens" , lumenmin, lumenmax) 
            .contains( "colorTemperatures" , $w( "#dropdown1" ).value) 
            .contains( "watts" , $w( "#dropdown2" ).value) 
            .contains( "voltage" , $w( "#dropdown4" ).value) 
            .contains( "additionalOptions" , $w( "#dropdown5" ).value) 
        ) 
    .then(() => { 
        $w( "#repeater3" ).forEachItem( ($item, itemData, index) => { 
            count += 1 ; 
        } ); 
	 **if** (count === 0 ) { 
            	$w( "#text37" ).show(); 
        	} 
	 **else** { 
            	$w( "#text37" ).hide(); 
        	} 
    }) 

```

}