Looks for answers/advice.  Currently using Admin Console 10.2.1.953 but have seen this in all the versions.

I have a template that is currently in use.  We are updating the process and adding a couple fields to the template as well as rearranging them a bit.

Current:

Field 1

Field 2

Field 3

Field 4

Field 5

Changed Template:

Field 1

Field 2

Field 4

Field 5

Field 3

Field 6

Field 7

My problem comes when I try to move the template out of my Dev environment into my Test environment.  From Dev I export the XML of all the template fields.  In Test I import the XML.  Everything works fine.  It creates the new fields and updates any that were changed (such as the description).

Then I export the template XML from Dev and import it into Test.  I use the option to Update existing objects or create new objects.  Without fail, there are a select number of fields that get created and the template now has Field Name (2).  Aside from the issue this will cause in Production with when the template is in use and has data in the non-(2) fields, the issue I can't seem to resolve is what it does when any of the (2) fields are List fields.

It will always add additional (and repeated) choices to the list.  Even if I import the template XML the first time and then import it again.  In theory the second time should be exactly the same as the first but it then makes the fields a (3) even though nothing on them has changed.

How do I get rid of the extra choices in the list.  I have imported the template 3 times.  I have changed the template to only have the original fields.  I have gone into Fields and deleted the fields with (2) and (3) behind them.  But when I open the template it still has all 3 sets of choices.