1.2.1-SNAPSHOT: improved visibility check for inheritance

docs/OOP.md

@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ Key rules and features:
 
 - Visibility
   - `private`: accessible only inside the declaring class body; not visible in subclasses and cannot be accessed via `this@Type` or casts.
-  - `protected`: accessible in the declaring class and in any of its transitive subclasses (including MI), but not from unrelated contexts; qualification/casts do not bypass it.
+  - `protected`: accessible in the declaring class and in any of its transitive subclasses (including MI). Additionally, ancestor classes can access protected members of their descendants if it's an override of a member known to the ancestor. Protected members are not visible from unrelated contexts; qualification/casts do not bypass it.
 
 ## Abstract Classes and Members
 
@@ -859,21 +859,29 @@ Private fields are visible only _inside the class instance_:
 
 ### Protected members
 
-Protected members are available to the declaring class and all of its transitive subclasses (including via MI), but not from unrelated contexts:
+Protected members are available to the declaring class and all of its transitive subclasses (including via MI). Additionally, an ancestor class can access a `protected` member of its descendant if the ancestor also defines or inherits a member with the same name (i.e., it is an override of something the ancestor knows about). 
 
-```
-class A() {
-    protected fun ping() { "pong" }
-}
-class B() : A() {
-    fun call() { this@A.ping() }
+Protected members are not available from unrelated contexts:
+
+```lyng
+class Base {
+    abstract protected fun foo()
+    
+    fun bar() {
+        // Ancestor can see foo() because it's an override 
+        // of a member it defines (even as abstract):
+        foo()
+    }
 }
 
-val b = B()
-assertEquals("pong", b.call())
+class Derived : Base {
+    override protected fun foo() { "ok" }
+}
+
+assertEquals("ok", Derived().bar())
 
 // Unrelated access is forbidden, even via cast
-assertThrows { (b as A).ping() }
+assertThrows { (Derived() as Base).foo() }
 ```
 
 It is possible to provide private constructor parameters so they can be

docs/tutorial.md

@@ -1701,7 +1701,7 @@ assertEquals(null, (buzz as? Foo)?.runA())
 
 Notes:
 - Resolution order uses C3 MRO (active): deterministic, monotonic order suitable for diamonds and complex hierarchies. Example: for `class D() : B(), C()` where both `B()` and `C()` derive from `A()`, the C3 order is `D → B → C → A`. The first visible match wins.
-- `private` is visible only inside the declaring class; `protected` is visible from the declaring class and any of its transitive subclasses. Qualialsofication (`this@Type`) or casts do not bypass visibility.
+- `private` is visible only inside the declaring class; `protected` is visible from the declaring class and its subclasses. Additionally, ancestors can access protected members of descendants if they override a member known to the ancestor. Qualification (`this@Type`) or casts do not bypass visibility.
 - Safe‑call `?.` works with `as?` for optional dispatch.
 
 ## Extension members

docs/whats_new.md

@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ class Person(private var _age: Int) {
 ### Private and Protected Setters
 You can now restrict the visibility of a property's or field's setter using `private set` or `protected set`. This allows members to be publicly readable but only writable from within the declaring class or its subclasses.
 
+### Refined Protected Visibility
+Ancestor classes can now access `protected` members of their descendants if it is an override of a member known to the ancestor. This enables base classes to call protected methods that are implemented or overridden in subclasses.
+
 ```lyng
 class Counter {
     var count = 0