Verification and Validation (p. 272)

Validation

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Aims to ensure that the software meets the needs of customers and other stakeholders.

Are we building the right thing?

• Sample validation methods:
  • requirements reviews
  • prototyping
  • validation of analysis models
  • acceptance testing

Verification

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Aims to ensure that the software complies with the existing requirements, specifications, or regulations.

Are we building it correctly?

• Sample verification methods:

  • reviews
  • walkthroughs
  • inspections
  • testing
  • static code analysis
  • theorem proving
  • model checking

• Validation often involves acceptance and suitability with external customers while verification is an internal process.

• Software testing may address both verification and validation issues

  • validation
    • checks the observed results of test cases against the customer's needs
      • acceptance testing
  • verification
    • checks the observed results against
      • a specification (postcondition of a method)
      • the desirable and undesirable behavior from implicit requirements or expectations