# Separate dispatch on Type{T} for subtypes
**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/separate-dispatch-on-type-t-for-subtypes/2139
**Category:** General Usage
**Tags:** question
**Created:** [February 16, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/separate-dispatch-on-type-t-for-subtypes/2139 "2017-02-16T22:18:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@greg\_plowman](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/greg_plowman)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/separate-dispatch-on-type-t-for-subtypes/2139/1 "2017-02-16T22:18:42Z")
Consider the following:
```julia
abstract A
type B <: A end
type C <: A end
Base.show(io::IO, ::MIME"text/plain", ::Type{A}) = print(io, "I'm abstract type A")
Base.show{T<:A}(io::IO, ::MIME"text/plain", ::Type{T}) = print(io, "I'm type $T, a subtype of A")
```
The first show method is not called for `A`:
```julia
julia> B
I'm type B, a subtype of A
julia> A
I'm type A, a subtype of A
```
Is it possible to dispatch separately for `A` and `B`?
---
### Author:  [@mbauman](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mbauman)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2017, 10:58pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/separate-dispatch-on-type-t-for-subtypes/2139/2 "2017-02-16T22:58:30Z")
Wait for 0.6 to come out? The type system revamp in 0.6 enables the first method to be considered more specific for `A`. I think the only way to do this in 0.5 is with a branch inside the function body:
```
Base.show{T<:A}(io::IO, ::MIME"text/plain", ::Type{T}) = T === A ? print(io, "I'm abstract type A") : print(io, "I'm type $T, a subtype of A")
```
Since Julia still specializes on the exact type, the branch is completely removed when the method is compiled.
---
### Author:  [@greg\_plowman](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/greg_plowman)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2017, 11:26pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/separate-dispatch-on-type-t-for-subtypes/2139/3 "2017-02-16T23:26:25Z")
Thanks Matt!