Kapil Saxena
Verification
and Validation: Definition, Differences, Details:
The terms
‘Verification‘ and ‘Validation‘ are frequently used in the
software testing world but the meaning of those terms are mostly vague and
debatable. You will encounter (or have encountered) all kinds of usage and
interpretations of those terms, and it is my humble attempt here to
distinguish between them as clearly as possible.
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Criteria
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Verification
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Validation
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Definition
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The
process of evaluating work-products (not the actual final product) of a
development phase to determine whether they meet the specified requirements
for that phase.
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The
process of evaluating software during or at the end of the development
process to determine whether it satisfies specified business requirements.
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Objective
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To
ensure that the product is being built according to the requirements and
design specifications. In other words, to ensure that work products meet
their specified requirements.
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To
ensure that the product actually meets the user’s needs, and that the
specifications were correct in the first place. In other words, to
demonstrate that the product fulfills its intended use when placed in its
intended environment.
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Question
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Are we
building the product right?
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Are we
building the right product?
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Evaluation
Items
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Plans,
Requirement Specs, Design Specs, Code, Test Cases
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The
actual product/software.
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Activities
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It is
entirely possible that a product passes when verified but fails when validated.
This can happen when, say, a product is built as per the specifications but the
specifications themselves fail to address the user’s needs.
- Trust but Verify.
- Verify but also Validate.
