base44 dev rejects an entity file generated by base44-builder ($ref property without type) #673

The Base44 builder wrote an entity file that CLI 0.2.2 (the latest on npm) refuses to load. The app runs fine on Base44, but base44 dev fails locally:

■  Invalid entity file in .../base44/entities/Order.jsonc:
│  ✖ Top-level properties must declare a type
│    → at properties.billing_address.type
│  ✖ Top-level properties must declare a type
│    → at properties.shipping_address.type

The file came from base44-builder[bot] ("External agent changes"). The two properties use a $ref to a shared definition, with no type:

"billing_address": { "$ref": "#/definitions/address" },
"shipping_address": { "$ref": "#/definitions/address" },
...
"definitions": { "address": { "type": "object", "properties": { ... } } }

TopLevelPropertySchema in the CLI requires type on every top-level property, even though PropertyDefinitionSchema accepts $ref. So a file the builder generates and the hosted app accepts fails local validation. base44 dev has no option to skip the check.

Expected: files the builder generates pass CLI validation. Either the builder adds type next to $ref, or the CLI accepts a $ref in place of type.

Workaround: adding "type": "object" next to each $ref gets past the check.

Environment: base44 CLI 0.2.2, Node 22.12.0, Windows 11.