get_query_var('post_type') not returning in a filter

Question

Trying to highlight custom taxonomy pages in the main nav, so I am trying to get the post_type of the current rendered page (to compare to the menu item):

add_filter('nav_menu_css_class', 'current_tax_nav_class', 10, 2);
function current_tax_nav_class($classes, $item) {
    $post_type = get_query_var('post_type');

    echo ">>>";
    print_r( $post_type );
    echo "<<<";

    return $classes;
}

But cannot get post_type var to return anything. This code is in functions.php

Using WP Version 4.4.1

Answer 1

If you are trying to get the post type for the current 'post', I think you could go with get_post_type().

Like this:

$post_type = get_post_type();

Try it out.