Hacker News Reader

You are describing "validation": the process of verifying that your spec really says what you mean.

He is saying that original spec can be incorrect.

Yes. And the post you're replying to is pointing out that that would be part of `Validation` to decide. Verification is confirming the software meets the spec. Validation is confirming that the software meets the actual desired behavior.

I think the comment was way shorter than it currently is when I replied. It is sometimes difficult to say what is meant with "validation". Many also use it to mean "functional testing", for example, which is incorrect.

based on what amw-zero stated, they're using it in the formal QC sense like ISO9001. In that context the two words have distinct meanings.

I do agree that colloquially they can be used in different ways, but as we're talking about formal verification as a concept, in this case verification aligns with that definition.

Yes - that is what [Validation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verification_and_validation) is for. I'm not saying it's easy (it's not). But there is a term for this.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com