fix: Move ExtendableHybridClass to it's own file with explanation (#…

…493)

* fix: Move `ExtendableHybridClass` to it's own file with explanation

* feat: Make `initHybrid()` static

* Revert "feat: Make `initHybrid()` static"

This reverts commit 9b10dcf.

packages/react-native-nitro-modules/android/src/main/java/com/margelo/nitro/core/HybridObject.kt

@@ -4,10 +4,6 @@ import androidx.annotation.Keep
 import com.facebook.jni.HybridData
 import com.facebook.proguard.annotations.DoNotStrip
 
-interface ExtendableHybridClass {
-    fun updateNative(hybridData: HybridData)
-}
-
 /**
  * A base class for all Kotlin-based HybridObjects.
  */

packages/react-native-nitro-modules/android/src/main/java/com/margelo/nitro/utils/ExtendableHybridClass.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+package com.margelo.nitro.core
+
+import com.facebook.jni.HybridData
+
+/**
+ * Represents an fbjni Hybrid Class (aka a Java class with an accompanying C++ class)
+ * that supports inheritance.
+ *
+ * Each fbjni Hybrid Class initializes it's `mHybridData` using an `initHybrid()` method,
+ * which initializes the respective C++ class this was bound to.
+
+ * Assuming we have Java class `B` which extends Java class `A`, and a C++
+ * inheritance chain that reflects the Java inheritance chain (C++ class `B` which extends C++ class `A`),
+ * we would have two `initHybrid()` methods - one for `A` and one for `B`.
+ * - When you initialize an instance of `A`, it will initialize `A`'s C++ part.
+ * - When you initialize an instance of `B`, it will initialize `B`'s C++ part, as well as `A`'s C++ part, since
+ *   the native `A.initHybrid()` method cannot be overridden in `B` - both have their own `initHybrid()` methods!
+ *
+ * To fix this issue, we have `ExtendableHybridClass`. In an extendable HybridClass, we initialize `mHybridData`,
+ * but we pass it upwards the inheritance chain after initializing self using `updateNative(mHybridData)`.
+ * This way the actual `mHybridData` instance is the lowest class in the chain - `B`.
+ */
+interface ExtendableHybridClass {
+  /**
+   * Update the `hybridData` (C++ part) this Hybrid Class is referencing.
+   * Call this with `hybridData` from a subclass to properly fill in the inheritance chain.
+   */
+  fun updateNative(hybridData: HybridData)
+}