IsKindOf
IsKindOf is a predicate used in object-oriented programming to determine whether an object's dynamic type is the same as a given class or a subclass of that class. It relies on runtime type information and is commonly used in reflective programming, debugging, serialization, and dynamic dispatch. In many languages, IsKindOf implies a broader check than an exact type match: a positive result may indicate either the specified class or one of its descendants, depending on the language and the specific API.
Semantics and variants vary by language. Some APIs explicitly distinguish between “kind of” and “member of” or
Language examples illustrate the concept. Objective-C provides a method like isKindOfClass to test whether an object
Usage considerations include balancing safety with polymorphism. Runtime type checks can aid correctness in some contexts