stdtypeinfoname

stdtypeinfoname is a term used to describe the textual representation returned by the name member of the C++ standard library’s type information facility, typically via std::type_info::name(). This string is intended to identify a type at runtime, but its exact content is implementation-defined and can vary between compilers and platforms. The name is obtained from the type information object that results from the typeid operator or RTTI features, and it is primarily intended for debugging and informational use rather than for program logic.

Because the format of stdtypeinfoname is implementation-dependent, it is often not human-friendly or stable across builds. Many compilers emit mangled names that reflect the internal type encoding, especially on platforms using the Itanium C++ ABI or other ABI schemas. To obtain a readable type name, developers commonly employ demangling utilities provided by the standard library or toolchains, such as abi::__cxa_demangle in GCC and Clang, or platform-specific demanglers. Demangling converts the compiler-specific encoding into a more readable form, which can resemble the original type's declared name.

Usage considerations include portability and reliability. Since stdtypeinfoname depends on the compiler and library implementation, software relying on it for logic or type discrimination should prefer standard mechanisms such as dynamic_cast, std::is_same (with templates), or a controlled type registry. When displaying type information for diagnostics, logging, or debugging, stdtypeinfoname can be useful, provided it is treated as an implementation detail and optionally demangled for clarity.

See also: std::type_info, typeid, RTTI, ABI demangling, Itanium C++ ABI.