verification-strategy

# Verification Strategy How to verify your work is correct before declaring a task complete. ## The Verification Checklist After implementing a solution, go through ALL of these: ### 1. Re-read the original task - Re-read the EXACT wording of the task instruction - Check every requirement — file paths, names, formats, constraints - Are there implicit requirements? ("compile with gcc -O3 -lm" means exact flags) ### 2. Check file outputs - Do all required files exist at the exact paths specified? - Are file sizes within any stated limits? - Is the file format correct? (binary vs text, encoding, line endings) ```bash ls -la /path/to/expected/output wc -c /path/to/output # byte count file /path/to/output # format detection head -5 /path/to/output # content preview ``` ### 3. Compile and run - Compile with the EXACT flags specified in the task - Run with the EXACT command and arguments specified - Check exit code: `echo $?` (should be 0 for success) - Check both stdout AND stderr ### 4. Validate output - Compare output against expected format - Check exact field names, delimiters, number formatting - If the task specifies output format, match it exactly: - JSON: valid JSON? correct schema? - CSV: correct headers? correct delimiter? - Plain text: correct line endings? trailing newline? ### 5. Test edge cases - Empty input (if applicable) - The specific test inputs mentioned in the task - Large inputs (if the task involves performance) ### 6. Check constraints - Size limits (file size, code length) - Time limits (does it finish in reasonable time?) - Memory limits (does it stay within bounds?) - No external dependencies that aren't available ## Reading Test Scripts If you can find the test script, READ IT: - What exact assertions does it make? - What inputs does it use? - What output format does it expect? - What timeouts are set? Tests often check things you didn't expect: - Exact string matching (whitespace matters!) - Specific numeric precision - File permissions - Process exit codes ## Common Verification Failures | What you think is right | What the test actually checks | |------------------------|-------------------------------| | Output on stdout | Output in a specific file | | Human-readable numbers | Exact decimal precision | | Relative file paths | Absolute file paths | | "Close enough" answer | Exact match | | Code that runs | Code under a specific size limit | ## Final Check Before declaring done, ask yourself: 1. Did I create/modify ALL the files the task asks for? 2. Did I use the EXACT paths, names, and formats specified? 3. Does my code compile/run WITHOUT errors? 4. Does my output match what automated tests would expect? 5. Have I cleaned up any debug output or temporary files?