typeidentifikator

A type identifier, often abbreviated as typeid, is a mechanism used in programming languages to determine the runtime type of an object. This is particularly useful in languages that support dynamic typing or object-oriented features like inheritance and polymorphism. When a program needs to know the specific class or type of an object, it can query its type identifier.

The concept of type identification is crucial for safe downcasting, where a variable of a base class type is cast to a more specific derived class type. Without a type identifier, such a cast could lead to runtime errors if the object is not actually an instance of the target derived class. Many object-oriented languages provide built-in functions or operators to access an object's type identifier.

The exact implementation and availability of type identifiers vary between programming languages. Some languages might expose this information directly through a dedicated attribute or method, while others might handle it implicitly through their type system. In some contexts, type identifiers can also be used for type checking, reflection, and even for serialization and deserialization processes. Understanding how type identifiers work is essential for writing robust and flexible code, especially when dealing with complex object hierarchies and dynamic behavior.