[flexcoders] Is it a ValueObject, or is it a String.

[Laurence]

I have a function (not written by me) that's returning either a String or a 
ValueObject, depending on whether or not it finds a match in an ArrayCollection 
of ValueObjects.  If it finds a match, it returns the ValueObject that matches 
the search string.  If it doesn't find a match, it returns the search-string 
itself.

So, here's my question -- how do I know if what's being returned is a String or 
a ValueObject?

I need something like the following:
   if returnedItem isString {
      //do stuff needed for when match isn't found
   } else {
      //do stuff needed for when match is found
   }

But I can't figure out how to word that 'if' statement -- how do you ask it if 
it is a String or a ValueObject, without knowing in advance what it's going to 
be?

Thanks,
Laurence MacNeill
Mableton, Georgia, USA