C++ - typeid(), used on derived class doesn't return correct type

Question

Maybe I'm misunderstanding how inheritance works here, but here's my problem:

I have a class Option, and a class RoomOption that derives from it. I have another class Room which holds a vector of shared_ptrs. In main I add a RoomOption to that vector. Then, using typeid() I check the type, and it tells me its an Option. From what I've read, typeid is supposed to return derived types, and shared_ptrs dont cause slicing, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

Here's the code:

Room.h:

vector<shared_ptr<Option> > options;
void addOption(shared_ptr<Option>);
shared_ptr<Option> getOption(int);

Room.cpp:

void Room::addOption(shared_ptr<Option> option){
    options.push_back(option);
}

shared_ptr<Option> Room::getOption(int i){
    return options[i];
}

main:

shared_ptr<Room> outside(new Room(0, "", ""));
outside->addOption(shared_ptr<RoomOption>(new RoomOption(0, "Go inside", hallway)));
cout<<typeid(player->getRoom()->getOption(0)).name().get()<<endl; 
//This line prints "class std::tr1::shared_ptr<class Option>

It occurs to me that maybe when adding or getting an Option, the RoomOption is casted as an Option due to the return/argument type. If that's the case then how am I supposed to store a vector of more than one type? Or am I getting this all wrong? =\

Answer 1

First of all yor getting the typeid of the shared_ptr.

Then you should use dynamic_cast instead of typeid. E.g:

if (dynamic_cast<RoomOption*>(player->getRoom()->getOption(0).get()) != 0){
    cout << "Its a RoomOption!" << endl;
}