Fix populate() for array fields with ref on items

[pubkey]

This PR contains:

• A BUGFIX
• IMPROVED TESTS

Describe the problem you have without this PR

RxDocument.populate() was throwing a DOC6 error when called on array fields that have the ref property defined on the items schema object instead of on the array field itself. However, createRxSchema accepts both patterns as valid, creating an inconsistency.

For example, this schema pattern was not supported by populate():

friends: {
    type: 'array',
    items: {
        ref: 'human',
        type: 'string'
    }
}

Changes

Source Code

Modified src/rx-document.ts to check for ref in two locations:

1. Directly on the schema object (existing behavior)
2. On the items property if the field is an array (new behavior)

This allows populate() to work with both ref definition patterns that the schema validation already accepts.

Tests

Added comprehensive unit test in test/unit/population.test.ts that:

• Creates a schema with ref defined on array items
• Inserts documents with array references
• Verifies populate() correctly resolves the references
• Verifies the pseudo-proxy _ getter also works with this pattern

Documentation

Updated CHANGELOG.md with the fix description.

Test Plan

Added unit tests that cover the fix. The test creates documents with array fields containing refs defined on items, calls populate(), and verifies the references are correctly resolved to RxDocument instances.

https://claude.ai/code/session_012UknZ1m9tWSKkdi8nmWcqJ