Runtime type identification of an object utilizing class inheritance relationships

A system comprising:

• a processing unit;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processing unit and storing instructions thereon, the instructions, when executed by the processing unit, performing acts comprising:
• generating a class inheritance relationship between a plurality of classes in at least one source code section;
• assigning respective type identifications to identify the plurality of classes in the class inheritance relationship;
• in accordance with presence of a first operation related to accessing a target pointer to an object of a target class of the plurality of classes in the at least one source code section, causing a type identification for the target class to be recorded with at least one bit of a memory address of the target pointer, the at least one bit being omitted in addressing the target pointer;
• and
• causing runtime type identification of the object of the target class pointed to by the target pointer to be performed based on the class inheritance relationship and the at least one bit of the memory address of the target pointer, wherein performing the runtime type identification of the object includes linking a plurality of different intermediate source code sections compiled from a plurality of different source code sections to form an executable, and wherein the executable references the class inheritance relationship between the plurality of classes stored in a specific memory area.

A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by an electronic device to cause the electronic device to perform acts comprising:

• generating a class inheritance relationship between a plurality of classes in at least one source code section;
• assigning respective type identifications to identify the plurality of classes in the class inheritance relationship;
• in accordance with presence of a first operation related to accessing a target pointer to an object of a target class of the plurality of classes in the at least one source code section, causing a type identification for the target class to be recorded with at least one bit of a memory address of the target pointer, the at least one bit being omitted in addressing the target pointer;
• and
• causing runtime type identification of the object of the target class pointed to by the target pointer to be performed based on the class inheritance relationship and the at least one bit of the memory address of the target pointer, wherein performing the runtime type identification of the object includes linking a plurality of different intermediate source code sections compiled from a plurality of different source code to form an executable, and wherein the executable references the class inheritance relationship between the plurality of classes stored in a specific memory area.