run-time type information

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

Run-Time Type Information

   <compiler> (RTTI) Facilities included in {C++} {compilers} to
   allow the {type} of an object to be determined at {run time}.

   This facility, found in good C++ compilers and some other
   {high level languages}, adds type information to memory
   resident objects (i.e. type name or unique type-id).  This
   allows the {run-time system} to determine if an object is of a
   specific type, for example, to ensure that a {cast} of an
   object is valid.

   (1996-04-15)