Fixing the “AttributeError: module ‘httpcore’ has no attribute ‘NetworkBackend’” Issue in Python

If you’ve been working with the motor package in Python, you may have come across an error message that looks something like this:

AttributeError: module ‘httpcore’ has no attribute ‘NetworkBackend’

This error appears to be related to a change in the `httpcore` package and can be particularly vexing if you’ve installed or updated this package after July 20, 2023. Fortunately, there’s a simple solution to this problem: upgrading your `httpcore` package to version 0.15.0 or higher.

Unraveling the Error

To understand why this error occurs, we need to dig into the `httpcore` package, a dependency of the `pymongo` package, which is utilized by the `motor` package.

In version 0.13.3 of `httpcore`, the `NetworkBackend` attribute was present. However, this attribute was removed or renamed in subsequent updates. This change leads to the `AttributeError` when the older version of the library tries to access it.

Implementing the Fix

The resolution for this issue is direct and straightforward: upgrade the `httpcore` package to version 0.15.0 or newer. You can execute this by running the following command in your terminal:

pip install — upgrade httpcore

Once you run this command, your `httpcore` package should update to the latest version, effectively resolving the error.

Wrapping Up

Keeping software libraries current is a crucial aspect of software engineering. It ensures that we can leverage the latest features, improvements, and bug fixes. However, updates can sometimes bring breaking changes, as illustrated in this case.

By comprehending the dependencies of our project and staying aware of changes in these dependencies, we can swiftly identify and fix issues like this one. Hopefully, this guide has not only helped you resolve the ‘AttributeError’ you were encountering but also enhanced your understanding of managing package dependencies in Python.