Runtime Validation
Runtime validation is a programming practice that checks data or program state for correctness during the execution of a program, as opposed to compile-time validation. It involves verifying inputs, outputs, or internal conditions at runtime to ensure they meet specified constraints, such as data types, ranges, or business rules. This helps catch errors early, improve reliability, and prevent security vulnerabilities like injection attacks or crashes.
Developers should use runtime validation when handling user inputs, API responses, or any external data sources to enforce data integrity and security in dynamic environments. It is crucial in web development for validating form submissions, in microservices for verifying inter-service communication, and in systems where compile-time checks are insufficient due to dynamic data or runtime dependencies. Learning this concept helps build robust applications that gracefully handle unexpected or malicious data.