Java instanceof and class name

I just asked this curiously. Maybe it's meaningless

When we use instanceof in Java, for example:

if (a instanceof Parent){ //"Parent" here is a parent class of "a"
}

Why can't we use it as follows:

if (a instanceof Parent.class){
}

Is the second "instance" more meaningful from a strictly programming point of view? What is the difference between "parent" and "parent. Class"?

Solution

The latter is class literal - a way to access objects of type < parent >

The former is just the name of a class and is used in various situations - calling static methods, constructors, projections, etc

Well, let's say the language is defined - instanceof only applies to the name of the type and never expresses it If you can write

if (a instanceof Parent.class)

Then I hope you can write:

Class<?> clazz = Parent.class;
if (a instanceof clazz)

... that's not how it works On the other hand, you can call class Isinstance method

What does "strict programming view" mean first?