GWT JSNI inheritance antifeature

References to java methods from JSNI must always refer to the class signatures of the defining base class, not the inheriting child class. Compile-time- OR Runtime-Exceptions can occur.

Example: Take the following abstract class...

package org.clazzes.example; 
abstract class Parent {

  public void parentMethod() {
    //Do something...
  }

}

which is extended as follows (factory method added for clarity):

package org.clazzes.example;
class Child extends Parent {

  public static Child getInstance() {
    return new Child();
  }

}

To use parentMethod() from an instance of Child, you must use the following:

public native final void callParentMethodFromJSNI() /*-{
  var child = @org.clazzes.example.Child::newInstance()();

  //access to parentMethod() only works like this:
  child.@org.clazzes.example.Parent::parentMethod()();

}-*/;