Editing Postcondition (section)

In [[computer programming]], a '''postcondition''' is a condition or [[Predicate (mathematics)|predicate]] that must always be true just after the execution of some section of code or after an operation in a [[formal specification]]. Postconditions are sometimes tested using [[assertion (computing)|assertions]] within the code itself. Often, postconditions are simply included in the documentation of the affected section of code.

For example: The result of a [[factorial]] is always an integer and greater than or equal to 1. So a program that calculates the factorial of an input number would have postconditions that the result after the calculation be an integer and that it be greater than or equal to 1.  Another example: a program that calculates the [[square root]] of an input number might have the postconditions that the result be a number and that its [[square (algebra)|square]] be equal to the input.