import pymongo causes `ImportError: cannot import name BSON`. how do you fix the import error?

Question

I'm having trouble getting a simple Hello World app to work using Flask, MongoDB, and Python. The app is bombing when trying to import from the `bson` module. All modules were installed successfully via `pip` and I'm running in a `virtualenv`, so I'm not sure why I'm getting the error: `ImportError: cannot import name BSON` Here is my sample app code: ``` import os from flask import Flask from flask import g from flask import jsonify from flask import json from flask import request from flask import url_for from flask import redirect from flask import render_template from flask import make_response import pymongo from pymongo import Connection from bson import BSON from bson import json_util app = Flask(__name__) @app.route('/') def hello(): connection = Connection() # Get your DB db = connection.my_database # Get your collection cars = db.cars # Create some objects import datetime car = {"brand": "Ford", "model": "Mustang", "date": datetime.datetime.utcnow()} # Insert it cars.insert(…

Accepted Answer

Try uninstalling the `bson` and `pymongo` packages and then reinstalling the `pymongo` package. `pymongo` installs its own `bson` package and I think you've overwritten it with the other `bson` package installation and that is probably what is causing your import error.

FYI:

- when you pip install pymongo it also installs bson but it does not ever print a message saying that it is install bson to your virtualenv site-packages

- also pymongo does not list bson as a dep

- also pip -v list does not show that bson is installed

- those bullet points IMO have some code smell (at least print a message stating you are installing bson)

import pymongo causes `ImportError: cannot import name BSON`. how do you fix the import error?

Solution

Problem