{"record":{"id":"ff037269f227cdb1","repo":"Automattic/mongoose","slug":"utils-populate-invalid-path-expected-string-or-a","errorCode":null,"errorMessage":"utils.populate: invalid path. Expected string or array of strings. Got typeof `${typeof path}`","messagePattern":"utils\\.populate: invalid path\\. Expected string or array of strings\\. Got typeof `(.+?)`","errorType":"exception","errorClass":"TypeError","httpStatus":null,"severity":"error","filePath":"lib/utils.js","lineNumber":597,"sourceCode":"      select: select,\n      match: model,\n      options: match\n    };\n  } else {\n    obj = {\n      path: path,\n      select: select,\n      model: model,\n      match: match,\n      options: options,\n      populate: subPopulate,\n      justOne: justOne,\n      count: count\n    };\n  }\n\n  if (typeof obj.path !== 'string' && !(Array.isArray(obj.path) && obj.path.every(el => typeof el === 'string'))) {\n    throw new TypeError('utils.populate: invalid path. Expected string or array of strings. Got typeof `' + typeof path + '`');\n  }\n\n  return _populateObj(obj);\n\n  // The order of select/conditions args is opposite Model.find but\n  // necessary to keep backward compatibility (select could be\n  // an array, string, or object literal).\n  function makeSingles(arr) {\n    const ret = [];\n    arr.forEach(function(obj) {\n      if (oneSpaceRE.test(obj.path)) {\n        const paths = obj.path.split(manySpaceRE);\n        paths.forEach(function(p) {\n          const copy = Object.assign({}, obj);\n          copy.path = p;\n          ret.push(copy);\n        });\n      } else {","sourceCodeStart":579,"sourceCodeEnd":615,"githubUrl":"https://github.com/Automattic/mongoose/blob/49cdab01366679723b487ecb754b38570f783289/lib/utils.js#L579-L615","documentation":"Error \"utils.populate: invalid path. Expected string or array of strings. Got typeof `${typeof path}`\" thrown in Automattic/mongoose.","triggerScenarios":"Thrown at lib/utils.js:597 when the library encounters an invalid state.","commonSituations":"See trigger scenarios.","solutions":[],"exampleFix":null,"handlingStrategy":null,"validationCode":null,"typeGuard":null,"tryCatchPattern":null,"preventionTips":[],"tags":[],"backgroundTag":null,"analyzedSha":"49cdab01366679723b487ecb754b38570f783289","analyzedAt":"2026-08-21T22:54:00.882Z","schemaVersion":2},"datasetVersion":"2026-08-21T23:17:16.201Z"}