How to get C++ object name in run time?

Question

Can I get an object's name in run time (like getting an object's type via RTTI)? I want the object to be able to print its name.

Answer 1

Since objects in C++ don't have any names, you cannot get them. The only thing you can get to identify an object is its address.

Otherwise, you can implement your naming scheme (which means the objects would have some char* or std::string member with their name). You can inspire yourself in Qt with their QObject hierarchy, which uses a similar approach.

Answer 2

Its not possible. For on thing, an object doesn't have a unique name.

A a;
A& ar = a;  // both a and ar refer to the same object

new A;  // the object created doesn't have a name

A* ap = new A[100];  // either all 100 objects share the same name, or need to 
                     // know that they are part of an array.

Your best bet is to add a string argument to the objects constructor, and give it a name when its created.