diff --git a/include/node.h b/include/node.h
index f6a2ef6..3ddfb33 100644
--- a/include/node.h
+++ b/include/node.h
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@ namespace YAML
 	class Content;
 	class Scanner;
 
+	enum CONTENT_TYPE { CT_NONE, CT_SCALAR, CT_SEQUENCE, CT_MAP };
+
 	class Node
 	{
 	public:
@@ -23,6 +25,8 @@ namespace YAML
 		void Parse(Scanner *pScanner, const ParserState& state);
 		void Write(std::ostream& out, int indent, bool startedLine, bool onlyOneCharOnLine) const;
 
+		CONTENT_TYPE GetType() const;
+
 		// accessors
 		Iterator begin() const;
 		Iterator end() const;
diff --git a/src/content.h b/src/content.h
index 3189478..9ea6a95 100644
--- a/src/content.h
+++ b/src/content.h
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ namespace YAML
 	class Sequence;
 	class Map;
 
+	enum CONTENT_TYPE;
+
 	class Content
 	{
 	public:
@@ -31,6 +33,7 @@ namespace YAML
 		virtual bool GetEnd(std::map <Node *, Node *, ltnode>::const_iterator& it) const { return false; }
 		virtual Node *GetNode(unsigned i) const { return 0; }
 		virtual unsigned GetSize() const { return 0; }
+		virtual CONTENT_TYPE GetType() const = 0;
 
 		// extraction
 		virtual void Read(std::string& s) { throw InvalidScalar(); }
diff --git a/src/map.cpp b/src/map.cpp
index bfd8b6f..02c2da0 100644
--- a/src/map.cpp
+++ b/src/map.cpp
@@ -163,6 +163,11 @@ namespace YAML
 			out << std::endl;
 	}
 
+	CONTENT_TYPE Map::GetType() const
+	{
+		return CT_MAP;
+	}
+
 	int Map::Compare(Content *pContent)
 	{
 		return -pContent->Compare(this);
diff --git a/src/map.h b/src/map.h
index 3ebd3f4..5f34072 100644
--- a/src/map.h
+++ b/src/map.h
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ namespace YAML
 		virtual void Parse(Scanner *pScanner, const ParserState& state);
 		virtual void Write(std::ostream& out, int indent, bool startedLine, bool onlyOneCharOnLine);
 
+		virtual CONTENT_TYPE GetType() const;
+
 		// ordering
 		virtual int Compare(Content *pContent);
 		virtual int Compare(Scalar *pScalar) { return 1; }
diff --git a/src/node.cpp b/src/node.cpp
index f67ab55..e1f323d 100644
--- a/src/node.cpp
+++ b/src/node.cpp
@@ -144,6 +144,14 @@ namespace YAML
 		}
 	}
 
+	CONTENT_TYPE Node::GetType() const
+	{
+		if(!m_pContent)
+			return CT_NONE;
+
+		return m_pContent->GetType();
+	}
+
 	// begin
 	// Returns an iterator to the beginning of this (sequence or map).
 	Iterator Node::begin() const
diff --git a/src/scalar.cpp b/src/scalar.cpp
index e560fb8..622813e 100644
--- a/src/scalar.cpp
+++ b/src/scalar.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include "scanner.h"
 #include "token.h"
 #include "exceptions.h"
+#include "node.h"
 #include <sstream>
 
 namespace YAML
@@ -37,6 +38,11 @@ namespace YAML
 		out << "\"\n";
 	}
 
+	CONTENT_TYPE Scalar::GetType() const
+	{
+		return CT_SCALAR;
+	}
+
 	void Scalar::Read(std::string& s)
 	{
 		s = m_data;
diff --git a/src/scalar.h b/src/scalar.h
index 0da9df6..8367705 100644
--- a/src/scalar.h
+++ b/src/scalar.h
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ namespace YAML
 		virtual void Parse(Scanner *pScanner, const ParserState& state);
 		virtual void Write(std::ostream& out, int indent, bool startedLine, bool onlyOneCharOnLine);
 
+		virtual CONTENT_TYPE GetType() const;
+
 		// extraction
 		virtual void Read(std::string& s);
 		virtual void Read(int& i);
diff --git a/src/sequence.cpp b/src/sequence.cpp
index 2f4ff95..0c81ba4 100644
--- a/src/sequence.cpp
+++ b/src/sequence.cpp
@@ -150,6 +150,11 @@ namespace YAML
 			out << std::endl;
 	}
 
+	CONTENT_TYPE Sequence::GetType() const
+	{
+		return CT_SEQUENCE;
+	}
+
 	int Sequence::Compare(Content *pContent)
 	{
 		return -pContent->Compare(this);
diff --git a/src/sequence.h b/src/sequence.h
index 35b7765..8fe612c 100644
--- a/src/sequence.h
+++ b/src/sequence.h
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ namespace YAML
 		virtual void Parse(Scanner *pScanner, const ParserState& state);
 		virtual void Write(std::ostream& out, int indent, bool startedLine, bool onlyOneCharOnLine);
 
+		virtual CONTENT_TYPE GetType() const;
+
 		// ordering
 		virtual int Compare(Content *pContent);
 		virtual int Compare(Scalar *pScalar) { return 1; }