Hello. Context: ------- I use the boost serialization library to save and load objects of a system. I defined practices around this lib, and so I always serialize from a base class (every class serializable inherits from ISerializable). As a consequence, the true_type (i.e. the most derived type) is different from the this_type (i.e. ISerializable) and the true_type is stored in the archives. My question: ----------- How to retreive this true_type (as the string written in the archive), only from the archive object? I developp just a little bit: ---------------------------- Let's have this class tre: ISerializable <|-- B <|-- D If I do : B* b = new D(); b->SaveToFile(path); // <= this will do the serialization ar & this (this being a ISerializable*) I obtain an archive where it is written the true_type "D" (whatever the type of the archive : txt, bin or xml). With the b object and this code : const boost::serialization::extended_type_info & true_type = * boost::serialization::type_info_implementation<ISerializable>::type ::get_const_instance().get_derived_extended_type_info(*b); I have what I want in true_type.get_key(), i.e : "D". I can verify that "D" is written in every archive storing b. My question again : how, only with an archive object (construct from the archive file without error), car I retrieve this key? Tanks for any help. Nicolas.