MongoServerError: Invalid namespace specified 'local_library/.genres'

[SillyBorbo]

MDN URL

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/Server-side/Express_Nodejs/mongoose

What specific section or headline is this issue about?

Testing - Create Some Items

What information was incorrect, unhelpful, or incomplete?

Followed the tutorial exactly. When trying to run node populatedb <mongodb url>, I get the error "MongoServerError: Invalid namespace specified 'local_library/.genres" (code: 73). I'm very new to this and don't know what the problem is. I copy-pasted all of the code to ensure that I didn't mistype anything. And yes, I followed the steps to set up mongodb cloud.

What did you expect to see?

The script should complete without error.

Do you have any supporting links, references, or citations?

No response

Do you have anything more you want to share?

No response

MDN metadata

Page report details

• Folder: en-us/learn/server-side/express_nodejs/mongoose
• MDN URL: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/Server-side/Express_Nodejs/mongoose
• GitHub URL: https://github.com/mdn/content/blob/main/files/en-us/learn/server-side/express_nodejs/mongoose/index.md
• Last commit: bbac122
• Document last modified: 2024-03-27T08:03:37.000Z

[hamishwillee]

Did you do the challenge? https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Learn/Server-side/Express_Nodejs/mongoose#genre_model_-_challenge!

The error seems to indicate that mongodb doesn't know about genres so it is possibly you didn't do that bit?

The populate.db assumes you did (I might need to make that clear - this is something you have to do)

If you did, the next step is to check that your models code matches the worked project here: https://github.com/mdn/express-locallibrary-tutorial/tree/main/models

[SillyBorbo]

Yes, challenge was done. I edited populatedb.js to skip genres and it has the same error with authors. Maybe this is a networking issue with mongodb? I am doing this on my work computer. I also know next to nothing about networking.

[SillyBorbo]

I finally found the problem. My mongodb url looked like:
...mongodb.net/local_library/?retryWrites=true...
When I removed the "/" just before the "?"
...mongodb.net/local_library?retryWrites=true...
It worked. I guess it was just my mistyping.

[SillyBorbo]

Now that I notice it, the error message
Invalid namespace specified 'local_library/.genres'
actually shows the problem. I expect that the "/" after local_library wouldn't be there if genres truly didn't exist and I had typed the correct url.

[hamishwillee]

Glad you worked it out. Something for me to remember if I see the URL again.