instanceof considered harmful?

Question

I am looking over some code that has heavy use of Java's instanceof operator. I will fight the temptation to go into details, since this is a general question. instanceof reminds me of of c++'s dynamic cast, and the advice I read about it, long ago, that if you think you need it, probably your model is off. Is this still the conventional wisdom? Does it apply to Java's instanceof?

Answer 1

Yes, you are on the right track. While instanceof certainly has its uses, heavy use generally indicates that your class design is deficient.