Troubleshooting

Solutions to common problems and debugging techniques to get you back on track quickly.

Authentication Issues

Issue: “API key is invalid”

Symptoms:

DioException: 401 Unauthorized - Invalid API key
Error: API request failed (status: 401)

Solutions:

Verify API Key is Correct

Flutter
JavaScript
Python
Go

// Check your API key is correct
final config = CocobaseConfig(
  apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",  // Copy from dashboard
);

const config = {
  apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",  // Copy from dashboard
};

# Cloud Functions
# Verify API key in dashboard settings

config := cocobase.Config{
    APIKey: "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE",  // Copy from dashboard
}

Check API Key Format
- API keys are typically 32-64 characters
- Should be alphanumeric
- Don’t add quotes or extra spaces
Verify API Key is Active
- Go to CocoBase Dashboard
- Check if the API key is enabled
- Check expiration date

Use Environment Variables

// Better approach
const apiKey = String.fromEnvironment('COCOBASE_API_KEY');
final config = CocobaseConfig(apiKey: apiKey);

Issue: “User session expired”

Symptoms:

DioException: 401 Unauthorized during request
Session token invalid or expired

Solutions:

Implement Token Refresh

Future<T> withAutomaticRefresh<T>(
  Future<T> Function() request,
) async {
  try {
    return await request();
  } on DioException catch (e) {
    if (e.response?.statusCode == 401) {
      // Token expired - ask user to login again
      await db.logout();
      throw Exception('Please login again');
    }
    rethrow;
  }
}

Check Token Storage

// Verify token is saved correctly
final isAuth = await db.isAuthenticated();
print('Authenticated: $isAuth');

Clear Cache and Retry

// Force fresh login
await db.logout();
final result = await db.login(
  email: 'user@example.com',
  password: 'password',
);

Issue: “Email already registered”

Symptoms:

DioException: 409 Conflict - Email already in use

Solutions:

Use Different Email

try {
  await db.register(
    email: 'newemail@example.com',
    password: 'SecurePassword123!',
  );
} on DioException catch (e) {
  if (e.response?.statusCode == 409) {
    print('Email already registered - try another');
  }
}

Implement Password Reset Flow Instead of creating a new account, direct users to password reset.

Connection Problems

Issue: “Network timeout”

Symptoms:

DioException: Connection timeout after 30000ms
SocketException: Failed to connect

Solutions:

Check Internet Connection

import 'package:connectivity_plus/connectivity_plus.dart';

Future<bool> hasInternet() async {
  final connectivity = await Connectivity().checkConnectivity();
  return connectivity != ConnectivityResult.none;
}

Implement Retry Logic

Future<T> withRetry<T>(
  Future<T> Function() request, {
  int maxAttempts = 3,
}) async {
  for (int i = 0; i < maxAttempts; i++) {
    try {
      return await request();
    } catch (e) {
      if (i == maxAttempts - 1) rethrow;
      await Future.delayed(Duration(seconds: 2 << i));  // Exponential backoff
    }
  }
  throw Exception('Max retries exceeded');
}

// Use it
final books = await withRetry(() => db.listDocuments<Book>("books"));

Increase Timeout (if needed)

const config = {
  apiKey: "YOUR_KEY",
  timeout: 60000, // 60 seconds
};

Issue: “Certificate verification failed”

Symptoms:

HandshakeException: Handshake error in client
Certificate verification failed

Solutions:

Ensure Using HTTPS

final config = CocobaseConfig(
  apiKey: 'YOUR_KEY',
  baseUrl: 'https://api.cocobase.cc',  // Must be HTTPS
);

Check Device Date/Time
- SSL certificates are time-sensitive
- Ensure device date/time is correct
Update Dependencies
flutter pub upgrade npm update

Query Issues

Issue: “No results when expecting data”

Common Causes & Solutions:

Field Name Typo

// Wrong - typo in field name
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'titulo': 'Flutter',  // Typo!
});

// Correct
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'title': 'Flutter',
});

Case Sensitivity Field names are case-sensitive! Match the exact case from your database schema.

Operator Missing

// Wrong - looking for exact price
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'price': 29.99,  // Exact match only
});

// Correct - use operators
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'price__gte': 20,
  'price__lte': 50,
});

Wrong Data Type

// Wrong - comparing string to number
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'price': '29.99',  // String!
});

// Correct - use correct type
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'price': 29.99,  // Number
});

Issue: “QueryBuilder not building correct query”

Debug with .build():

final query = QueryBuilder()
  .where('status', 'published')
  .whereGreaterThan('price', 20)
  .limit(10);

// Output: status=published&price__gt=20&limit=10

// Plain filter alternative:
const filters = {
  status: 'published',
  price__gt: 20,
  limit: 10
};

Issue: “Pagination not working”

Common Mistakes:

// Wrong - not using offset
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'limit': 20,
  'limit': 40,  // Second limit overwrites first!
});

// Correct - use offset for pages
final page1 = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'limit': 20,
  'offset': 0,
});

final page2 = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'limit': 20,
  'offset': 20,
});

Type Conversion Errors

Issue: “type ‘_InternalLinkedHashMap<String, dynamic>’ is not a subtype”

Cause: Type mismatch in fromJson() method

// Wrong - assuming wrong type
factory Book.fromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json) {
  return Book(
    price: json['price'] as String,  // API returns number!
  );
}

// Correct - match actual type
factory Book.fromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json) {
  return Book(
    price: (json['price'] as num).toDouble(),  // Convert properly
  );
}

Fix Strategy:

// 1. Check what type the API actually returns
final doc = await db.getDocument("books", "doc-id");
print(doc.data.runtimeType);  // Check actual type
print(doc.data);              // Print the data

// 2. Update your fromJson to match
factory Book.fromJson(Map<String, dynamic> json) {
  return Book(
    price: _parsePrice(json['price']),  // Use helper
  );
}

static double _parsePrice(dynamic value) {
  if (value is num) return value.toDouble();
  if (value is String) return double.parse(value);
  return 0.0;
}

Issue: “NoSuchMethodError: The method ‘fromJson’ was called on null”

Cause: Converter not registered

// Wrong - forgot to register
final books = await db.listDocuments<Book>("books");

// Correct - register first
CocobaseConverters.register<Book>(Book.fromJson);
final books = await db.listDocuments<Book>("books");

// Or pass explicit converter
final books = await db.listDocuments<Book>(
  "books",
  converter: Book.fromJson,
);

Issue: “null value error when accessing optional field”

Cause: Not handling null values

// Wrong - force unwrap optional
final subtitle = json['subtitle'] as String;  // Crashes if null!

// Correct - handle null
final subtitle = json['subtitle'] as String?;  // Nullable

// Or with default
final subtitle = (json['subtitle'] as String?) ?? 'No subtitle';

Real-Time Connection Problems

Issue: “WebSocket connection fails”

Solutions:

Verify Collection Exists

// Check collection exists before watching
try {
  final collection = await db.getCollection('books');
  await db.watchCollection('books', (event) {
    print('Event: ${event.type}');
  });
} catch (e) {
  print('Collection error: $e');
}

Check WebSocket is Enabled Most BaaS platforms enable WebSocket by default. Verify in your project settings.

Use Correct Filters

// Correct - use filters parameter
await db.watchCollection('books', callback,
  filters: {'status': 'published'},
);

Issue: “Real-time updates stopped”

Solutions:

Reconnect on Disconnect

class RobustWatcher {
  Future<void> watch(String collection) async {
    try {
      await db.watchCollection(collection, (event) {
        // Handle event
      });
    } catch (e) {
      print('Watch failed: $e');
      // Reconnect after delay
      await Future.delayed(Duration(seconds: 5));
      await watch(collection);  // Retry
    }
  }
}

Check Network State

Future<void> watchWithNetworkCheck(String collection) async {
  if (await hasInternet()) {
    await db.watchCollection(collection, (event) {
      // Handle event
    });
  } else {
    print('No internet connection');
  }
}

File Upload Errors

Issue: “File upload fails”

Common Causes:

File Too Large

// Check file size before upload
final file = File(path);
final fileSize = await file.length();
final maxSize = 10 * 1024 * 1024;  // 10MB

if (fileSize > maxSize) {
  throw Exception('File too large (max 10MB)');
}

Invalid File Type

// Validate file extension
final allowedExtensions = ['.jpg', '.jpeg', '.png', '.pdf'];
final extension = path.substring(path.lastIndexOf('.'));

if (!allowedExtensions.contains(extension.toLowerCase())) {
  throw Exception('Invalid file type');
}

Network Timeout

// Increase timeout for large files
final config = CocobaseConfig(
  apiKey: apiKey,
  timeout: Duration(minutes: 5),  // 5 minute timeout
);

Performance Issues

Solutions:

Use Pagination

// Wrong - load everything at once
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books");

// Correct - paginate
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'limit': 50,
  'offset': 0,
});

Select Only Needed Fields

// Wrong - fetch all fields
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books");

// Correct - select specific fields
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books",
  queryBuilder: QueryBuilder()
    .select('id')
    .select('title')
    .select('price'),
);

Use Indexes

// Wrong - querying non-indexed field
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'description__contains': 'flutter',  // Slow!
});

// Correct - query indexed field
final docs = await db.listDocuments("books", filters: {
  'status': 'published',  // Fast if indexed
});

Issue: “Memory usage increases over time”

Solutions:

Clear Collections

class SafeCollectionWatch {
  Future<void> watch(String collection) async {
    final eventBuffer = <WatchEvent>[];

    await db.watchCollection(collection, (event) {
      eventBuffer.add(event);

      // Process and clear buffer periodically
      if (eventBuffer.length >= 100) {
        _processBatch(eventBuffer);
        eventBuffer.clear();
      }
    });
  }
}

Dispose Resources

@override
void dispose() {
  db.closeConnection();  // Important!
  super.dispose();
}

Cloud Functions Issues

Issue: “Function execution timeout”

Causes:

Heavy computation
Database query taking too long
External API call delay

Solutions:

Optimize Database Queries

# Bad - no limit
posts = db.query("posts")

# Good - with limit
posts = db.query("posts", limit=100)

Use Indexes

# Query indexed fields for faster results
posts = db.query("posts",
    status="published",  # Indexed
    author_id=user_id,   # Indexed
    limit=50
)

Implement Caching

def main():
    # Check cache first
    cache_key = f"stats_{datetime.now().date()}"
    cached = db.find_one("cache", key=cache_key)

    if cached:
        return cached['data']

    # Calculate stats (expensive)
    stats = calculate_stats()

    # Store in cache
    db.create_document("cache", {
        "key": cache_key,
        "data": stats,
        "expires_at": (datetime.now() + timedelta(hours=24)).isoformat()
    })

    return stats

Issue: “Function returns unexpected errors”

Debug Steps:

Enable Logging

def main():
    try:
        print(f"Request method: {req.method}")
        print(f"Request data: {req.json()}")

        result = process_data()

        print(f"Result: {result}")
        return {"result": result}

    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {str(e)}")
        import traceback
        traceback.print_exc()
        return {"error": str(e)}, 500

Validate Input

def main():
    user_id = req.get("user_id")

    if not user_id:
        return {"error": "user_id is required"}, 400

    # Continue processing

Test Locally Create a test script with sample data to debug your function logic.

Debugging Tips

Enable Debug Logging

Flutter
JavaScript
Go

import 'package:dio/dio.dart';

final dio = Dio();
dio.interceptors.add(
LogInterceptor(
requestBody: true,
responseBody: true,
requestHeader: true,
responseHeader: true,
),
);

// Enable axios logging
axios.interceptors.request.use(request => {
  console.log('Starting Request', request);
  return request;
});

axios.interceptors.response.use(response => {
  console.log('Response:', response);
  return response;
});

// Enable HTTP request logging
client := cocobase.NewClient(cocobase.Config{
    APIKey: apiKey,
    Debug:  true,  // Enable debug mode
})

Print Document Details

final doc = await db.getDocument("books", "doc-id");
print('ID: ${doc.id}');
print('Collection: ${doc.collection}');
print('Data: ${doc.data}');
print('Data type: ${doc.data.runtimeType}');
print('Created: ${doc.createdAt}');
print('Updated: ${doc.updatedAt}');

Check Query String

final query = QueryBuilder()
  .where('status', 'published')
  .whereGreaterThan('price', 20);

print('Query: ${query.build()}');

Test in Isolation

Create minimal reproduction cases:

void main() async {
  final db = Cocobase(CocobaseConfig(apiKey: 'test-key'));

  // Minimal test case
  try {
    final result = await db.listDocuments('books');
    print('Success: ${result.length} books');
  } catch (e) {
    print('Error: $e');
  }
}

Common Error Messages

”Collection not found”

Solution: Create the collection first or check spelling.

// Create collection
await db.createCollection(Collection(name: 'books'));

// Then query
final books = await db.listDocuments('books');

”Invalid filter operator”

Solution: Check operator syntax.

// Wrong
'price_greater': 20

// Correct
'price__gt': 20  // Double underscore

”Document not found”

Solution: Verify document ID exists.

// Check if document exists first
final exists = await db.documentExists('books', docId);
if (exists) {
  final doc = await db.getDocument('books', docId);
}

”Validation failed”

Solution: Check required fields and data types.

// Ensure all required fields are present
final data = {
  'title': 'Book Title',        // Required
  'author': 'Author Name',      // Required
  'price': 29.99,               // Required, must be number
  'isbn': '978-0-123456-78-9',  // Optional
};

await db.createDocument('books', data);

FAQ

Q: How do I reset my API key?

A: Go to your CocoBase Dashboard → Settings → API Keys → Generate New Key. Update your application with the new key before revoking the old one.

Q: Why are my queries slow?

A: Common causes:

Missing indexes on queried fields
Fetching too many documents (use pagination)
Populating too many relationships
Not using query operators efficiently

See Query Optimization for solutions.

Q: How do I handle rate limiting?

A: Implement retry logic with exponential backoff. See Rate Limiting for examples.

Q: Can I use raw SQL queries?

A: In cloud functions, you can use db.execute_raw_query() but be careful with SQL injection. Always use parameterized queries.

Q: How do I backup my data?

A: Use the export functionality or create a cloud function that periodically exports data to cloud storage.

def backup_data():
    # Get all documents
    docs = db.query("collection", limit=10000)

    # Save to file or cloud storage
    import json
    backup = json.dumps(docs["data"])

    return {"backed_up": len(docs["data"])}

Q: Why isn’t my converter working?

A: Make sure you:

Registered the converter: CocobaseConverters.register<Book>(Book.fromJson)
Used the correct type parameter: db.listDocuments<Book>("books")
Defined fromJson() factory method correctly

Getting Help

Resources

Documentation
Community
- GitHub Issues: cocobase/issues
- Stack Overflow: Tag questions with cocobase
- Discord: Join our community
Contact Support
- Email: support@cocobase.cc
- Dashboard: Help button in top-right corner
- Live Chat: Available during business hours

Reporting Issues

When reporting a bug, include:

// 1. SDK version
print('CocoBase SDK version: 1.0.0');

// 2. Platform version
// Dart --version
// Flutter --version
// Node --version

// 3. Minimal reproduction
final db = Cocobase(CocobaseConfig(apiKey: 'test-key'));
final books = await db.listDocuments("books");

// 4. Full error message and stack trace
// (Copy from console)

// 5. Expected vs actual behavior
// Expected: List of 10 books
// Actual: Empty array

Before Asking for Help

Check this troubleshooting guide
Review the documentation
Search existing GitHub issues
Try a minimal reproduction
Check your API key and network connection

Error Code Reference

Code	Meaning	Common Cause
400	Bad Request	Invalid data format, missing required fields
401	Unauthorized	Invalid API key, expired session
403	Forbidden	Insufficient permissions
404	Not Found	Resource doesn’t exist
409	Conflict	Duplicate entry (e.g., email already exists)
429	Too Many Requests	Rate limit exceeded
500	Internal Server Error	Server-side error
502	Bad Gateway	Temporary server issue
503	Service Unavailable	Server maintenance or overload

Next Steps

Best Practices - Optimize your code
Examples - Learn from real-world code
Cloud Functions - Build serverless functions
Advanced Features - Master advanced techniques

​Troubleshooting

​Authentication Issues

​Issue: “API key is invalid”

​Issue: “User session expired”

​Issue: “Email already registered”

​Connection Problems

​Issue: “Network timeout”

​Issue: “Certificate verification failed”

​Query Issues

​Issue: “No results when expecting data”

​Issue: “QueryBuilder not building correct query”

​Issue: “Pagination not working”

​Type Conversion Errors

​Issue: “type ‘_InternalLinkedHashMap<String, dynamic>’ is not a subtype”

​Issue: “NoSuchMethodError: The method ‘fromJson’ was called on null”

​Issue: “null value error when accessing optional field”

​Real-Time Connection Problems

​Issue: “WebSocket connection fails”

​Issue: “Real-time updates stopped”

​File Upload Errors

​Issue: “File upload fails”

​Performance Issues

​Issue: “App is slow when loading many documents”

​Issue: “Memory usage increases over time”

​Cloud Functions Issues

​Issue: “Function execution timeout”

​Issue: “Function returns unexpected errors”

​Debugging Tips

​Enable Debug Logging

​Print Document Details

​Check Query String

​Test in Isolation

​Common Error Messages

​”Collection not found”

​”Invalid filter operator”

​”Document not found”

​”Validation failed”

​FAQ

​Q: How do I reset my API key?

​Q: Why are my queries slow?

​Q: How do I handle rate limiting?

​Q: Can I use raw SQL queries?

​Q: How do I backup my data?

​Q: Why isn’t my converter working?

​Getting Help

​Resources

​Reporting Issues

​Before Asking for Help

​Error Code Reference

​Next Steps

Troubleshooting

Authentication Issues

Issue: “API key is invalid”

Issue: “User session expired”

Issue: “Email already registered”

Connection Problems

Issue: “Network timeout”

Issue: “Certificate verification failed”

Query Issues

Issue: “No results when expecting data”

Issue: “QueryBuilder not building correct query”

Issue: “Pagination not working”

Type Conversion Errors

Issue: “type ‘_InternalLinkedHashMap<String, dynamic>’ is not a subtype”

Issue: “NoSuchMethodError: The method ‘fromJson’ was called on null”

Issue: “null value error when accessing optional field”

Real-Time Connection Problems

Issue: “WebSocket connection fails”

Issue: “Real-time updates stopped”

File Upload Errors

Issue: “File upload fails”

Performance Issues

Issue: “App is slow when loading many documents”

Issue: “Memory usage increases over time”

Cloud Functions Issues

Issue: “Function execution timeout”

Issue: “Function returns unexpected errors”

Debugging Tips

Enable Debug Logging

Print Document Details

Check Query String

Test in Isolation

Common Error Messages

”Collection not found”

”Invalid filter operator”

”Document not found”

”Validation failed”

FAQ

Q: How do I reset my API key?

Q: Why are my queries slow?

Q: How do I handle rate limiting?

Q: Can I use raw SQL queries?

Q: How do I backup my data?

Q: Why isn’t my converter working?

Getting Help

Resources

Reporting Issues

Before Asking for Help

Error Code Reference

Next Steps