Java determine which class an object is

Question

I have three classes (Carnivore, Herbivore, and Plant) that extend another class (Organism). How can I tell which subclass an

Answer 1

You can say if( animal instanceof Carnivore ) to find out if it is a Carnivore or a descendant thereof, and you can use if( animal.getClass() == Carnivore.class ) to find out if it is exactly a Carnivore and not a descendant thereof.

However, the fact that you need to perform a check of this kind usually means that you have a flaw in your design, a missing overridable method, or something like that.