What is the purpose of the 'instanceof' keyword in OOP?

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What is the purpose of the 'instanceof' keyword in OOP?

The 'instanceof' keyword in Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) is used to determine whether an object belongs to a specific class or is an instance of a particular class. It allows us to check if an object is of a certain type or if it is a subclass of a specific class.

The purpose of the 'instanceof' keyword is to provide a way to perform type checking and type casting in OOP. It allows us to verify the type of an object before performing any operations or accessing its methods and properties. This is particularly useful in scenarios where we need to handle different types of objects differently based on their class or hierarchy.

By using the 'instanceof' keyword, we can write code that is more flexible and adaptable to different object types. It helps in implementing polymorphism, where different objects can be treated as instances of a common superclass or interface, allowing for code reuse and abstraction.

In addition, the 'instanceof' keyword also helps in avoiding potential runtime errors by ensuring that the object being operated on is of the expected type. It provides a way to perform runtime type checking, allowing us to handle different object types appropriately and prevent any unexpected behavior or exceptions.

Overall, the purpose of the 'instanceof' keyword in OOP is to enable type checking, type casting, and polymorphism, ensuring that objects are of the expected type before performing any operations on them.