need a built in function in php which work same as isinstance function of python
 

dear all..
any one please tell me which function in php work same as isinstance function of php and how to use it.

isinstance(object, classinfo):
Return true if the object argument is an instance of the classinfo argument, or of a (direct or indirect) subclass thereof. Also return true if classinfo is a type object and object is an object of that type.
thanks

You can use the instanceof operator and there is also the is_a function.